The 2021 premiership triumph feels like a distant memory for Melbourne, and despite having 16 premiership stars still on their roster, it seems like an entirely different club.
Since the flag, it has been one disaster after another, which has included, but is not limited to, the potential trading of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver; the Joel Smith drug saga; the lack of a home base; and the allegations against Simon Goodwin's behaviour.
All culminating toward an external review led by an All Blacks figurehead that was supposed to turn the turbulence into clear air.
But taking a look back on where the Demons have been since that drought-breaking flag, there is a statistic that pops off the page, which has been their Achilles heel in the past three years.
Utilising WheeloRatings, Melbourne has 12 games to thank for the dramatic downfall the club has faced, which has been the summit of its checkered past.
Identifying a dozen matches where the Demons were expected to win but didn't from the beginning of the 2022 campaign, ultimately preventing them from turning a dynasty-worthy team into rubble.
5. Semi Final, 2023 vs Carlton
9.17 (71) def. by 11.7 (73)
After failing to convert in the first week of the finals, a straight-sets exit beckoned for the second consecutive year.
The Demons had just been beaten by the Blues four weeks earlier, and their semi-final played out similarly.
Melbourne, however, was the more dominant side on the evening, leading for roughly 70 per cent of the night, but not when it mattered most.
A trio of behinds to Pickett and Fritsch ultimately led to the two-point loss, which was expected to be a 17-point victory, according to WheeloRatings.
It would've set up a preliminary final clash with Brisbane.
Instead, it indicated the end of the Melbourne dynasty, two years after its premiership triumph.
