GEELONG coach Mick Stinear said the result of the qualifying final shouldn't have come down to the boot of Chloe Scheer.
The bullocking forward took a comfortable mark 15m out, directly in front of goal, but her set shot drifted wide with 15 seconds remaining to hand Melbourne a four-point win.
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The Cats had led by as much as 28 points in the third term before conceding a record comeback from the Demons, ultimately crumbling under pressure and failing to hold their structures around the footy.
"From a team perspective, it shouldn't have come to that. Also, get back to work and make sure you're ready to take your next moment. The outcome of the game isn't on her, that's on the coaching team and the playing group to be more consistent. We shouldn't have put ourselves in that position," Stinear said in his post-match press conference.
"The whole group – if you're a forward, keep putting the work in and be ready to take those moments. I'm pleased we got another look late, but there was a lot more that we needed to do to make sure we weren't in that spot.
"The group was pretty good, and [Scheer has] kicked plenty of goals in her time, and she's had a few misses. She'll be disappointed, but the learning is there for us as a team. We have to be better with executing our method and fundamentals. It's not enough to bring pressure, we have to absorb it and use it well."
Stinear was more concerned by what had unfolded before the frantic finish, pointing to a loss of composure and structure as Melbourne wrestled back control in the second half.
"They got the start early, we were probably lucky they didn't get a few more shots on the board. Tricky with the breeze, how much was it helping? At three-quarter time, it was swirling around, maybe not as favourable at the end," Stinear said.
"The second quarter was good. We were able to get up and going and get some scoreboard pressure on. The third quarter, they started to get a little more aggressive off half-back and started to get a hold of the game. I feel like we tightened right up in the second half, and collapsed in a little bit around the ball, and fundamentally lost our way a little bit. They made us pay off turnover.
"Some valuable lessons for us – I thought our pressure, effort and intent was really good for the whole game, but our method and ability to execute [our fundamentals] lacked at critical times. To their credit, they came over the top of us. We nearly escaped with a win, but I didn't feel like we'd earned it with the second half we had."
Ruck Piper Dunlop will be monitored throughout the week after copping a knock to the back, but played out the game.
First-year Melbourne coach Tom Wilson celebrated with the Demon Army, making a beeline for the cheer squad and pumping his fist in celebration to their delighted roars.
"To be honest, I liked the way the game was looking (at half-time), I thought the girls were doing a terrific job. Credit to Geelong, I thought the way they got their opportunities, they really capitalised and were really efficient when they went forward," Wilson said.
"Particularly the first quarter, we kicked 0.4 – we were getting enough looks, it was just about getting nourishment from the scoreboard. I was just reinforcing what we were doing really well, tidied up a few bits and I thought our defensive six were doing really well, led by Tahls (Gillard)."
Gillard sang the praises of her teammates, thrilled with how they settled and remained focused on clawing their way back into the game.
"Super process-driven, but this is a huge step in the right direction. More than anything, it's just that momentum piece we're ticking off. They're a great team, and to play four quarters when momentum's down, and to get back on top, that's something we can take away and bring into the next final," she said.
"Finals are all about momentum, so to be able to withstand that (from Geelong), is really impressive, especially from the younger girls playing their first final."
