"But we can't look back, we can't look forward, we've got to look at what's in front of us right now, so today was disappointing. But I'm not going to go back and look backwards or project too much forward. It's madness.''

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Goodwin said the Demons did not concern themselves with external expectations, and did not know know how long it would take for them to realise their potential.

"We don't worry about the noise. We worry about what's right in front of us. Other people decide what the expectation should be. We know what we're capable of, and we'll continue to forge and try and grow and get better... to become the best team we can possibly become. How long that takes I'm not sure.''

"Yeah, it was a disappointing day in terms of how we played. Probably all three phases weren't to what we wanted to play. I thought Collingwood's pressure around the ball was outstanding. I thought they clearly won the clearances and generated a lot of forward momentum from there and they won the territory battle.

"Probably all phases of our game weren't to the level we're used to playing.''

Goodwin said defender Oscar McDonald had suffered concussion and some blurred vision. "He'll be OK... we've got a bye this week so he's got plenty of time to recover from that.''

"There's a lot they did well and we certainly didn't play anywhere near the level that we know we're capable of and we spoke about this even when we were winning – it's a game of small margins and you saw it again today.

"They played near their best, we were nowhere near our best. You get the result that you get because it's small margins you're dealing with.''

The coach was pleased with newcomer and defender Joel Smith's performance. He observed that Collingwood's giant American Mason Cox had "improved a lot'' and was "a bit of hand full" though the ball came in quickly and the seven foot Cox was well supplied.

Goodwin said the Demons, who are renowned for their contested work, had been beaten in the contest, allowing Collingwood to take over on the outside.

"I think when you win the game on the inside, you always look better on the outside. I'll leave it at that.''

They played near their best, we were nowhere near our best. You get the result that you get because it's small margins you're dealing with.

Simon Goodwin, Melbourne coach

Goodwin called Magpie Jordan De Goey "impressive'' and felt that Jack Viney "did a pretty reasonable job in the second half'' on the young Collingwood midfielder/forward, who had been dominant in the first half.

He said the Demons would benefit from playing before the huge crowd, and paid tribute to former coach Neale Daniher, whose championing of Motor Neurone Disease has become a feature of this game. Goodwin said Daniher was "special'' to the Demons.

"I wish we could have played a bit better for him.''