Robert Shaw insulted by comparisons between Melbourne and Fitzroy Former Fitzroy coach Robert Shaw is insulted by comparisons between the defunct club and the current Melbourne side. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: Herald Sun FORMER Fitzroy coach Robert Shaw says Melbourne is worse than the Lions in their dying years and is insulted by comparisons with the now defunct club. Shaw coached Fitzroy from 1991-94 and says no Lions team under his watch ever displayed such a lack of fight as the current Melbourne side. While the stench of death followed the Fitzroy sides which won just three total games in the club's last two seasons in 1995 and 1996, they won 17 combined games in 1992 and 1993. Melbourne great David Schwarz recently wondered if Melbourne was getting to Fitzroy's parlous state, but Shaw says there is no doubt the Dees have less heart and fight than his Fitzroy sides. "For people to compare Melbourne to Fitzroy, we might not have had a home, but we never played with this lack of competitiveness," Shaw said. I can only say very strongly - that is a slight on Fitzroy. The one thing they had was fight, right up to the last minute. They weren't good enough, but they never lost their ability to compete with spirit and for the jumper. I think the comparisons are wrong. This is a club with high draft picks. We never had any of those. The Demons have won 32 games in the last six completed seasons, compared to 31 from a Fitzroy side forced to find new home grounds and with a playing list aware the club was being killed off by the league. Shaw said the Fitzroy side of 1991, so desperate not to finish bottom that it beat minor premiers West Coast in the last round to finish second-last, was indicative of the club's fight. "There were good, average and poor Fitzroy sides, but when people came and watched Fitzroy they knew they might be outplayed or beaten, but they would give their heart and soul," Shaw said. One thing they always did was fight. Fitzroy would never allow themselves to be in this non-competitive state. How can you have 38 tackles for the game? That's why Fitzroy people get very angry about the comparison. For seven Demons not to have a tackle, I haven't coached for a while, but if every player on the ground has a goal of having three tackles you are in the game a lot longer than having some expansive white-board presentation about structures and zones and presses. Just for once try to tackle the crap out of the opposition. Neeld yesterday said he was coping with the club's losses, more intent on focusing on the list's effort in coming weeks. "I'm OK, its not about me," Neeld said. In my world, its about the 46 players that we have, and in particular the 22 who played on the weekend. We are disappointed with the scoreboard, but particularly disappointed with the effort in some parts of the game. I don't get too carried away with that external noise. My focus is that we were non-competitive in the combative part of the game.