MELBOURNE spearhead Jesse Hogan has already run a personal best time-trial and appears primed for a big season, new coach Simon Goodwin has revealed.

Optimism is palpable at success-starved Melbourne, with Goodwin also declaring there's no reason big man Max Gawn can't continue to improve after becoming the AFL's premier ruckman.

In October, Hogan, 21, rejected the possibility of returning to his native Western Australia for 2018 by signing a contract extension that will tie him to the Demons until 2019.

And Goodwin said he was impressed with how the two-time club leading goalkicker had attacked his off-season training program, which has him ready to achieve new heights in his third AFL season.

"He's a young player with enormous talent and to get Jesse on board and committed to the footy club was fantastic," Goodwin told SEN radio on Wednesday morning.

"But most importantly, the way he's come back in to training on Monday, he's run a personal best time, he's come back with his body in elite condition and he's setting himself for a really strong season."

Asked whether he felt Gawn, 24, could go to another level, Goodwin said: "Speaking to Max, he thinks he can. He's pretty confident, Max. He's refreshing. He believes in what he's doing, he's got an extremely high work ethic and he trains extraordinarily hard. I can't see why he (can't improve).

"He's only really emerged over the last 12 months and he's really keen to make sure that he continues to improve.

"He was down at Casey 18 months ago just wandering around, still working out how he wanted to play the game, and he made a decision (then) that he wanted to be the best trainer (at the club), and he's gone about that and his game's followed."

Critically, Gawn was one of the Demons' expanding group of leaders, which had been assisted by the addition of former Hawthorn veteran Jordan Lewis.

"What we're looking to do is develop a group of leaders, and that's something the club's been crying out for for a number of years," Goodwin said.

"We're really excited by the depth of leadership we're starting to get, and the improvement of Max Gawn, Tom McDonald, Jack Viney (and) these guys are really emerging as strong leaders throughout the footy club."

Two more key recruits in Michael Hibberd and Jake Melksham – the former Bombers returning from their season-long doping bans – started in the rehab group as they eased back into training before their expected introduction to full training in "two or three weeks".

"They're excited to get into their new environment and made some pretty good first impressions," Goodwin said of the pair.

The Melbourne coach said the development the Demons had shown in three years under his predecessor Paul Roos had "laid a great platform for some exciting times ahead".

He said they aspired to break the club's 10-year finals drought but gaining the extra two or three wins next season would still be "a significant jump".

Goodwin said fans should be excited by the Demons' youth and increasing competitiveness around the contest, adding that he hoped to add some flair with their ball movement to "hopefully stretch some opposition defences".