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Loss gives rookie
coach an insight
MELBOURNE: New Melbourne
coach Neil Balme discovered his AFll
team's strength and weaknesses the
hard way when the Demons lost to
reigning premier West Coast in the sec
ond round of the Foster's Cup.
Preparing for this weekend's season
opener against perennial finalist Haw-;
thorn, Balme said playing quality oppo
sition like West Coast so early in his
AFL coaching career gave him a great
insight into his playing personnel.
"It's a bloody tough way to learn
about your side by losing," Balme said.
"It showed me that we had good com-'
mitment and attitude, but our execution
of skills on occasions was ordinary."
One of Balme's tasks is to lift Mel
bourne back into the finals after it
missed September action last year for
the first time since 1987.
Balme fell short of predicting where
Melbourne would finish this year but
gave reassurances it would be higher
than the 11th it managed last year.
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