After more than a decade out of the AFL finals, Melbourne fans could be forgiven for being a tad cynical.
But young gun Christian Petracca is urging them to keep the faith ahead of an almighty battle to make the eight.
The Dees face a must-win clash against fellow top-eight hopefuls St Kilda on Sunday after dropping to 10th on the ladder with a 35-point loss to Greater Western Sydney.
Only percentage separates the Demons from eighth-placed Essendon, ninth-placed West Coast and 11th-placed Saints, leaving plenty to play for in the weeks to come.
"Just stick with us. Be confident," Petracca said on Tuesday.
"We're fully confident, and we're going to give it all we can on Sunday and in the next three games.
"Obviously there's areas of our game that we need to work on ... (but) we can still have that crack on Sunday and for the rest of the year."
A victory over the Saints would provide a huge boost to Melbourne's finals chances, with winnable home games against Brisbane and Collingwood to follow.
The Dees have played scintillating football at times this season, showing a newfound attacking flair under rookie coach Simon Goodwin while maintaining their aggression around the ball.
A top-four finish had looked well within their reach after inspiring midyear wins over Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and West Coast.
But the Dees only managed two wins from the following six games and have not cracked the 100-point mark since round 13.
Injuries to stars Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones, Jack Watts, Christian Salem and Jeff Garlett have had a significant impact, although all of those players have since returned.
Petracca conceded it would be disappointing to miss out on the finals again but insisted the Dees were maintaining a short-term focus.
Melbourne are yet to review Saturday's loss but skills will be a focus after they were forced into over-handballing by the frenetic Giants.
"Their pressure was really good," Petracca said.
"It's something we need to work on I guess, just that connection and the simple brilliance, I reckon - just hitting those kicks and handballs.
"We've got two sessions on Tuesday and Thursday to work on it and I'm sure we'll be alright by Sunday."
