MELBOURNE coach Mick Stinear was happy his side could bounce back from a rare disappointing day out last week to post a strong 51-point win over West Coast at Casey Fields on Sunday. The Demons piled on the first 10 goals of the match and had 21 scoring shots to four by the final break before West Coast kicked three consolation majors in the last quarter.

Of the 10.14 (74) to 3.5 (23) victory, Stinear said he was “really pleased” with the effort of his side in getting back on track after last week’s frustrating two-point defeat to Port Adelaide.

“Last week we were disappointed not to play our way and be a bit more connected and efficient out there, and I thought this week we responded really well,” he said. “It looked liked us for the majority of the game, just cleaner, more clinical, level of instruction and support, really good team effort.”

In particular, Stinear highlighted the Demons’ intensity around the ball, winning the contested possession count by 22 (130-108), as well as getting it to the outside to win the uncontested possession count by 28 (123-95) with 12 more marks (41-29) in challenging conditions.

“Bringing our intensity and ferocity around the ball, wanted to set the scene with that part of the game and be a bit more efficient with the ball and they certainly we in front of goal which was good,” Stinear said. “You could see in moments we let us around the ball it gave them a bit of breathing space and opportunity and last quarter they got that space more than we would have liked, but for the majority of the game, really pleased with that effort around the ball.”

While conceding the only three goals of the game in the last quarter showed a little step off the pressure from the first three quarters, Stinear described the fourth term as “just a good lesson” having been 67 points up at the final break and the game well and truly put to bed.

“There’s some opportunities in that last quarter, we kicked three points and had some good looks on goal and just didn’t convert,” Stinear said. “We gave up some easier goals and we were probably a bit more ruthless for the other three quarters, and it’s a good little lesson for us, you can’t take the foot off and let teams get in, but the attention to detail and the ferocity around the ball, if we keep doing that we’re going to be really hard to beat. Not too concerned, but more just a good lesson to us, to stay sharp and stay on task.”

The star of the show was forward Eden Zanker who piled on five first half goals and finished with eight scoring shots from 12 touches and nine marks. While the Dees coach acknowledged Zanker’s outstanding performance, he credited the entire team with making it happen.

“I think when you’re performing like a team, players are going to get opportunities on different days,” Stinear said. “Like I think Tayla (Harris) had a four-goal four game a couple of weeks ago and that was off the back of the team executing really well, and today I thought the team moved the ball well, kicked to Eden’s advantage, her craft one-on-one was really strong, she was judging the flight of the ball really well and ultimately got rewarded.

“But I think that was a reflection of how the team was playing and she was the one who got the goals today. But what was pleasing was to see the joy from the whole team. “Eden was the one kicking them, but everyone else celebrating, they all played a part in it, and that’s the kind of team we want to be.”

Similarly, Stinear was pleased with how the team operated out of the centre bounce and stacked up defensively with the return of Tahlia Gillard who teamed up well with Sinead Goldrick behind the ball.

“I think we kicked three centre bounce goals and conditions like today, territory’s really important,” he said. “Getting that ball in your forward half and putting the other team under pressure. I think our backs got in really well, it was great to have Tahlia Gillard back for her first game, Sinead Goldrick competed really well. We just looked a lot stronger and fiercer behind the ball and were able to capitalise in the forward half.”