Just one month ago the football world was embracing Melbourne as the team most likely to challenge Richmond for the AFL premiership, but three successive losses now has the Demons in doubt to make their first finals series since 2006.
And opinions have turned from considering the Dees as a magnificently-talented, near-unstoppable juggernaut, to many now thinking Melbourne is a poorly coached, poorly disciplined side full of individuals whose opinions of themselves aren’t matched by the performances they put forward on the field.
The Demons have slipped to seventh on the ladder after losses to Collingwood, Port Adelaide and St Kilda, with Sunday’s effort against the Saints showing up weaknesses in structure and effort.
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"Just like they have so many times in the past few years, the Dees couldn't get the job done when they needed," ESPN surmised after the game.
"Sunday's shock two-point loss to St Kilda again raises question marks about Melbourne's temperament, not to mention game-plan and team balance."
The Demons' return to September - taken for granted so recently - is now far from a foregone conclusion.
“They’ve written their own ticket Melbourne, they deserve whatever they get now,” Terry Wallace said on AFL Nation after the loss.
“They’ve got a pretty easy draw in the run home now, so I still expect them to make it.”
Former St Kilda captain Danny Frawley isn’t so sure.
“They just can’t be trusted at the minute,” Frawley told SEN Breakfast on Monday morning.
“They’re a very good team, but they’re inconsistent - what you see isn’t what you get.”
Simon Goodwin’s coaching came under fire from across the football landscape with Melbourne’s defence continually opened up too easily as the Saints charged forwards.
“St Kilda forced those Melbourne defenders: Jordan Lewis, Christian Salem and Michael Hibberd, they forced them to be lock-down defenders and that was a telling point,” Frawley said.
“That’s why (Tom McDonald) needed to go back. McDonald is their best defender, I’ve got no doubting that.
“We know he’s been a revelation playing forward, but he had to go back at some stage yesterday. I thought he may have been able to stem the flow.”
Former Western Bulldogs Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney agreed with Frawley, but also thought the Demons should have changed their attacking structure.
“I don’t know why Jesse Hogan was playing so high up the ground,” Cooney said.
“He needs to play deep, especially when Nathan Brown went down with a hamstring.
“Plant him in the goal square and let him go to work there, he’s almost turned himself into another midfielder, I’d love to see him stay deep.”
Sporting News' AFL expert The Rover questioned Goodwin's use of Hogan back in April and seems to have been right on the money.
Melbourne travels to Alice Springs this Saturday night and will be expected to bounce back into the winners’ circle against the struggling Fremantle Dockers, but then that’s what everyone thought would happen against St Kilda.
Regardless of the margin, we remain a weak and fragile football club. Can't perform when under pressure. #AFLDeesSaints
— Melbourne Footy (@MelbourneFooty) July 1, 2018
Hard to cope with this loss. All I’ve got is an entire lifetime of experiences. #AFLDeesSaints
— Titus O'Reily (@TitusOReily) July 1, 2018
I don't suppose Max Gawn has 17 brothers? #AFLDeesSaints #RaiseHell
— Doctor Fiveball (@DoctorFiveball) July 1, 2018