Melbourne's terrible start to the AFL season means more heat on coach Simon Goodwin, who insists he is still the man to lead the Demons out of their mess.
AFL commentator Matthew Lloyd, one of the game's greatest forwards, has pointed to the Demons' ongoing inability to score and doubts Goodwin will coach the Demons next season.
Only bottom side West Coast have scored less this season than the Demons, who are 17th and have failed to reach 10 goals in each of their last four games.
That was despite the Demons kicking five goals in the third term on Saturday night when they challenged Essendon, only for the Bombers to kick clear in the final term.
"This has been a problem now I'd say for 27-28 games ... it's a big concern for them," Lloyd said on Nine's Footy Show.
"They cannot score.
"You can look at personnel - I think it's system.
"I'd be surprised if he coaches next year, for the fact that it's been too long where he has not been able to have any answers."
Demons captain Max Gawn admitted post-match that morale had been an issue on the field against the Bombers as their struggles persist.
"So, maybe a bit of head dropping, and me in particular, happened at different points," Gawn said.
"It's f***ing hard, footy, so we're out there trying our hardest, but we're not probably mopping (up) our mistakes enough.
"Our spirit is very, very good but adversity - we're getting challenged and sometimes our spirit can waver. I think spirit wavers in all teams through adversity."
Goodwin is backing his ability to salvage Melbourne's sinking season - and quickly.
He remains "incredibly confident" in his coaching skills to oversee a sharp turnaround in fortunes.
"We've had a lot of challenges through my time at the footy club," he said.
"And I've been pretty well serviced to see the club through that and I feel pretty well credentialed to do that.
"But my focus is just doing my job to the best the ability and I believe I've got the credentials to do it."
The 48-year-old conceded his players were lacking confidence but said bluntly: "It's AFL footy - fight your way through it."
"We will come out of it.
"It can turn very quickly. People say it all the time: it's never as bad, and it's never as good - and right now, it feels bad.
"It can turn quick. Players can come into form quick .. it will turn and we'll be away."
Goodwin said fixing Melbourne's scoring woes js a priority ahead of hosting Fremantle next Saturday.
"Clearly there's some things we have got to work on with our method," he said.
"But there's also a fight that you need and a consistency in that."
