Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin knows the knock on the Demons is that they can go to water when the AFL stakes are high.
He knows that for a team with top-four aspirations, the 42-point Queen's Birthday loss to Collingwood was desperately disappointing.
That's why Melbourne are approaching their much-anticipated clash against in-form Port Adelaide as an opportunity to enhance their big-game credentials.
Fellow top-four aspirants, the Power have beaten reigning premiers Richmond and pummelled the hapless Western Bulldogs in the past fortnight.
With a bye week to ponder the loss to the Magpies, the Demons are out to prove the doubters wrong at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
"We're not oblivious ... the noise is that we can't play in these types of games," Goodwin told reporters on Tuesday.
"... it's the reality and we deal in realities. That's what the narrative is at the moment, but that doesn't mean it can't change quite quickly.
"We look forward to these opportunities.
"Those narratives we've changed along the way are that we couldn't win at Etihad, we couldn't beat St Kilda, we couldn't beat North Melbourne ... we've dealt with these along the way."
Melbourne were the talk of the town with a six-game winning run before the Pies took them down.
Although Goodwin is content to write the loss off as a bad day, he wants a response from his midfield against the Power after being beaten in clearances in their past two matches.
Oscar McDonald (concussion) and Neville Jetta (shoulder) were hurt in the Queen's Birthday clash, but have been cleared to play Port.
Former Demons No.1 draft pick Jack Watts is doubtful to face his old side, having been dropped to the SANFL.
"That's irrelevant to us in a lot of ways ... how we play won't change whether Jack does or doesn't play," Goodwin said.
"Jack was a really big part of our footy club for a long period of time, but he's started a new journey at Port Adelaide.
"He'll take some time to settle in with that, but we wish him all the best whatever happens."
