Melbourne’s interim coach Neil Craig says it would be easy for his players to think wins don’t matter for the rest of this AFL season.
But the former Adelaide coach says it’s crucial the Demons develop the consistent desperation for victory they’ve been lacking.
The only win Melbourne have posted in the first 12 rounds was against bottom-placed Greater Western Sydney and they haven’t come close against a top-eight side.
Saturday night’s MCG clash with the 16th-placed Western Bulldogs looms as a rare opportunity for another victory.
But Craig says Melbourne must believe they can beat anyone, not just low-ranking opposition.
“It’s really easy in our situation to fall into the mentality that it doesn’t matter, it’s all about development,” Craig told reporters on Friday.
“I can argue development can also be about winning attitude and to play with that winning attitude irrespective of the scoreboard.
“I think you had a great example last week with Brisbane Lions versus Geelong.
“The Brisbane Lions played with a winning attitude and it actually got them back in the game and got them a fantastic result.
“If they’d gone into just purely development mode they probably wouldn’t have got that result.
“So that’s something we actually want to push to our playing group.”
Craig said his side had shown that attitude at times, such as when they beat the Giants, but rarely maintained it for a whole game.
“Clearly at the moment we’re not producing that and that will be the challenge,” he said.
Craig added that just beating the Bulldogs wouldn’t be enough to change that mindset.
“True belief comes from doing it consistently,” he said.
Meanwhile, Craig downplayed the importance of other clubs opposing the Demons’ request for the AFL Commission to grant them a priority draft pick this year.
Brisbane coach Michael Voss this week said it would be unfair if Melbourne received assistance, given other clubs have battled through recent compromised drafts without help.
Bulldogs counterpart Brendan McCartney backed that view.
“I’m more interested in what the independent commission think,” Craig said.
“I understand other clubs will have commentary on it and have a view on it, but I think the view that I personally would be interested in is the view of the independent commission.”