Melbourne skipper David Neitz is facing the prospect of watching the deplorable Demons from the sidelines as his side's year from hell slips further into ruin.

The 306-game veteran injured his neck in the first half of the club's fifth straight loss to open the season, a 33-point defeat at the hands of Carlton.

His team-mate Cameron Bruce said the club's record-breaking captain was 'a bit sore' on Monday.

The future of the 33-year-old forward rests on scans to be taken on Monday afternoon of the potentially serious injury.

Neitz was pinned in a bone-crunching tackle by Jarrad Waite midway through the second quarter and did not return to the field.

The club's games and goals record holder was a frustrated bystander as his side struggled to find a target up forward and recorded only nine goals for the afternoon.

Bruce, a rare shining light in a dark day for the Demons, said the out-of-form big man was still pivotal to the team's fortunes.

"We've just had the leadership group meeting and he's a bit sore," Bruce told the media at the club's recovery at Junction Oval on Monday.

"He'll get assessed now. I'm not a doctor so I don't know what the go is for this week, hopefully he'll get that injury right."

"We need him out there because he is our inspirational leader and he turns games."

Bruce said the club's leaders had assessed the game against the Blues and quickly switched their focus to notching a win against Brisbane at the Gabba on Sunday.

"The ball is in our court. We have been making the errors and we've got so much improvement in us," he said.

"Statistically we are matching sides in getting the ball, it's just a matter of executing it properly. We have definitely got the potential to improve a lot."

Bruce would not be drawn on whether finals were still in reach for the Demons this year, but said hard work on the track and faith in one another would turn things around.

"For many a year we have relied on 22 players contributing and that's what we've got to get back to," he said.