Max Gawn has a "back story" to his below-par AFL game, with Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin strongly supporting the Demons captain.
Gawn, the seven-time All Australian, had his colours lowered in an absorbing ruck duel with North Melbourne's Tristan Xerri on Sunday at Marvel Stadium.
It proved pivotal as North monstered the Demons in the last term for a 59-point win.
Asked about how Gawn had responded to losing the ruck duel - a rarity for him - Goodwin said there had been contributing factors off the field.
"Today he'll acknowledge he got beaten by a really good opponent, but you also have to realise that in life, there are other things that are going on," Goodwin said.
"We'll support Max, he's a great person, a great leader, and there's a back story to everyone's performance.
"I'm not going to go into the details. There's footy, there's some stuff in life.
"He's someone we love dearly and he'll certainly be a big part of our response."
Xerri's best-afield game was among several major problems for the Demons on Sunday and Goodwin said they "copped their right whack" with the loss.
They were dominated in the last term and Goodwin said their inability to stop North's momentum in the midfield was a worry.
"Obviously losing the centre bounces the way we did early in that last quarter put us under enormous pressure - that's tough to watch and we have to be better at how we arrest momentum, especially around the centre square," Goodwin said.
"I felt all day that was coming. We acknowledge and we accept that it's not to the level."
Also - yet again - Melbourne failed to make the most of their chances in attack, especially in the third term.
They ended up with more inside 50s - 56 to 53 - but struggled to score.
"I know it's going to be a story and a narrative. In some ways, when you're two weeks in and you haven't seen the change you want, everyone is going to go down that path," Goodwin said.
"We're confident with the work we've done over the summer, that we'll start to see it."
Kade Chandler, Melbourne's best player, was the exception to their forward line woes and he kicked three goals.
