He has been banging on about his team needing to become competitive, but after six rounds, it is still a bugbear for Melbourne coach Dean Bailey.

Bailey said there was no "competitive edge" to his team's 52-point loss to Brisbane last Sunday and conceded his side's tackling is still not up to scratch.

"We missed some tackles (against Brisbane), Bailey said.

"You can't afford to miss tackles in today's game - you've got to make them stick.

"If we can increase our tackle count, that'll hopefully increase the number of turnovers we can cause."

The Lions made 62 tackles to 50 but the most startling statistic for Melbourne was the inside 50 count - Brisbane had 76 while the Demons had 41 for the match.

It meant the Brisbane had 42 scoring shots to 20.

Bailey said the Demons would generate more attacking forays if they moved the ball much faster in general play.

"The quicker you can move the ball, the easier it is to dissect the zone, like we were unable to do on the weekend," Bailey said.

"And it also gives us a greater chance to go inside 50.

"You can't go slow, you've got to go at a good speed and at the moment we're turning it over, playing in the forward line has been difficult in our team.

Bailey said the Demons have made some inroads, citing Nathan Jones' 24 possession and four goal effort and youngsters Cale Morton and Austin Wonaeamirri continuing to show their talent as long-term prospects.

Bailey was also happy with Mark Jamar's performance after putting in a poor effort against Carlton last week.

But Bailey will be hoping Jamar and No 1 ruckman Jeff White will be able to curtail the influence of Fremantle beanpole Aaron Sandilands this Sunday at the MCG.

The Dockers big man had 10 clearances and 20 contested possessions against Geelong last Friday night.

After two team-orientated performances for VFL affiliate Sandringham, Bailey said club veteran Adam Yze would be considered for selection against Fremantle.

Matthew Bate, Simon Buckley and Chris Johnson will also press for selection while Matthew Whelan will return to the side after serving out his suspension.

Bailey also appealed to Melbourne supporters to attend the game against the Dockers, which has been dubbed "the who cares cup" "The club's in the situation where we need their support. We need people to come to the game and support the club now," Bailey said.

"Actions this week will speak louder than anything we've got to say. We need to put our best foot forward to win and if we're competitive long enough, we'll win the game."

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