BRENDAN Fevola kicked his 22nd goal in three matches, seemingly going goal-for-goal with Hawthorn's Lance "Buddy" Franklin to bring the power forward back to football, as the Blues left Melbourne flummoxed, winless and asking for understanding.

Melbourne's improvement may not yet be palpable or even barely perceptible, but it was there, according to coach Dean Bailey, who last night asked Demons supporters for patience and support as the club's winless start to the season continued into a fifth game.

"We need you to stick with us because it is tough times but through tough times, blue sky is coming and we are heading towards it, so we need Melbourne people to continue to support the club. And I ask for their understanding. I also ask for their persistence as we persist through this tough time," Bailey said in a membership rallying cry. An impressive crowd of 44,159 had attended the match at the MCG.

"I am here to improve, I am here to improve the football club. I am here to improve the players … we need to be competitive for longer and we are going to get it done; we are just going to get it done. There will be more opportunities for players, more opportunities through training. We are going to knock the walls down to get there.

"We spent a lot of focus this week on our skills, they were a bit better this week but they are still not good enough or not acceptable enough and we are going to keep working at it. There is no quick remedy around the corner. It is head down, work hard, get a fit list."

Melbourne finished the game with captain David Neitz on the sidelines with a neck injury and Matthew Whelan reported by two umpires for allegedly striking Fevola. Carlton's Bret Thornton was also reported in the final quarter.

Neitz went off after he was slammed into the ground in a tackle, with his arms pinned, just before half-time. He did not reappear and Bailey said it was a "stinger" type of injury, which normally eases after minutes but in Neitz's case had lasted much longer. He may have scans today if the pain persists. He had had just one mark and one handball before the injury as Melbourne played an extra man in defence and emptied out its forward line.

"Our decision-making through the middle of the ground really let us down a bit. We certainly didn't help our forwards today. Forward is a tough position to play in our team," Bailey said.

Blues coach Brett Ratten was pleased but somewhat dismayed that the side had allowed Melbourne, which did not score a goal for effectively two full quarters, back into the game with five goals to three in the final term.

"To come and win two in a row, it is as pleasing as to beat Collingwood last week as Melbourne this week … I am really pleased — our players had expectations this week where last week, they didn't," Ratten said, enthusing that while Fevola kicked the goals, the victory was courtesy of his captain, Chris Judd.

"When the game was slowed up and became very flat, he was the one who broke the game open and really changed it. That is the beauty of having a player of his quality at our club," he said.