Melbourne sits 1-2 after its first three matches, and while its fixture will open up after a tough start to the season, there are still serious areas of concern for coach Mick Stinear. The Demons conceded their highest score last week, a mighty North Melbourne side piling on 71 points in a thumping 50-point win. The week prior saw Brisbane secure an 18-point victory against Melbourne, also at Casey Fields. Normally a high-scoring side, Melbourne has managed a cumulative five goals in its past two matches, having squeaked past a somewhat shaky Geelong in week one by just two points.

After an off-season of changes in the playing stocks, injuries to three key players have caused further havoc. It's had a serious flow-on affect to Melbourne's ability to simply get their hands on the ball.

A Blow to Melbourne's Midfield Depth

The Dees have lost several key players to injury this season, which has significantly impacted their midfield depth. Key defender Grace Hill, midfielder Grace Beasley, and small forward Alyssia Pisano faced North Melbourne, while injuries have elevated the likes of tall forward Georgia Gall and ruck Georgia Campbell to the first 21. Beasley played all three games this season before rupturing her ACL at training this week.

These injuries have highlighted Melbourne's need for depth, particularly in the midfield. While inside bull Eliza West was squeezed out of the side by the time she made a trade request, her absence has been compounded by the serious facial injury suffered by Liv Purcell on the eve of the season. Purcell has only just returned to running, and is at least six weeks away from playing. The backline has lost Libby Birch and Maddi Gay, with depth defender Charlotte Wilson also moving on for greater opportunities. Casey Sherriff was a key linking player between the midfield and forward line, while the class and clearance work of injured ruck Lauren Pearce has been sorely missed.

“I think there’s been a few late injuries in pre-season, so we’re still trying to get that mix right,” Stinear said. “Structurally, trying to complement the strengths of our players and make sure we can make some little adjustments to our game style to make sure we can compete and win.”

Winning the Ball and Limiting Turnovers: Areas of Concern for Melbourne

There were two clear areas of concern for Melbourne in its heavy loss to North Melbourne – winning the footy, and conceding scores from turnover. The Demons just couldn't get the footy forward of centre, coughing up the ball time and time again, which was punished by the powerful Kangaroos. “The contest, we need to make sure that’s our strength. Getting our hands on the ball first, and the way we use the ball from the inside to the outside, we think that’ll set up opportunities more,” Stinear said. “We saw that in the first quarter (kicking two of its three goals), which was exciting, we felt like that was going to be the trend for the day, but we couldn't maintain that level of intensity.”

The raw numbers, year on year, tell the story.

To drill down on an individual level, star playmaker Tyla Hanks – whose hard running has set up Melbourne into attack time and again in the past – is well down on her output last year, in both disposals and clearances. The absence of Pearce in the ruck is no doubt a contributing factor, but she's also struggled to pop up multiple times in a disposal chain, one of her biggest strengths.

D = disposal, C = clearance

Shelley Heath, Sarah Lampard and Sinead Goldrick have also been rolled through the midfield over the past three weeks, but not for consistent blocks, while Mithen is spending considerably less time on the ball this year. Beasley had essentially taken the spot of West, and the former US college basketballer had done some nice things this year in her return to football after a long lay off. But Melbourne will have to find yet another option to spend more time in the middle – possibly Mithen – after Beasley's season-ending injury.

The Road Ahead: A Chance to Regroup

It's been a tough year on the injury front for the Dees, who have just 23 of 30 fit players available for selection this weekend, with Paxy Paxman (foot) and draftee Jemma Rigoni (groin) chances to return next week. As stated earlier, Melbourne's draw opens up considerably from this point, with games against Fremantle (currently eighth), Essendon (12th), Greater Western Sydney (10th) and Collingwood (17th), as well as another tough ask against Adelaide (second).

The Demons are more than talented enough to once again play finals this year. It's just going to take some time to develop chemistry among new players and improvement at the contest – is there enough wriggle room for them to make it?

Melbourne will be looking to rediscover their AFLW mojo after dropping two of their opening three games, coach Mick Stinear says. Handed a reality check by the Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne, the Demons are gearing up to get their season back on track when they make the trip west to take on Fremantle this Saturday. The 2022 premiers, 14th on the ladder with a 1-2 record, could be in real danger of missing out on finals for the first since 2019 if they fall short of victory on the weekend. Stealing a two-point win over Geelong in round one, Melbourne hit their first speed bump when the Lions secured an 18-point triumph at their Casey Fields home before the Kangaroos thrashed them by 50 points. Banking early wins is crucial for post-season aspirations in a campaign that is only 11 matches long.

Stinear, who has coached the Dees since the league's 2017 inaugural season, is confident his team can rediscover their flow before entering a compressed fixture. Melbourne will play four matches between October 9 and 24 with the introduction of midweek fixtures this year. “This next period gives us a chance to get our set-up right, make sure individually we can limit our opponent's impact on the game, but then still be able to play our own way as well,” Stinear said. “Next time we meet teams like (Brisbane and North Melbourne), we want to be much stronger and much more even with our midfield in terms of our accountability and ownership. We haven't been able to get into flow at the moment, and we've got three weeks now where we get a chance to actually build before we go into that compressed fixture. It presents a great opportunity for us. The more footy, the better for us. Footy is the best thing for us at the moment to find that connection, to find that flow, and find that formula for hard work and getting rewarded.”