BEING left out of Melbourne's team for the opening rounds of the season was exactly the wake-up call Jack Grimes felt he needed as he tries to re-establish himself as a regular AFL footballer.

Not that spending the first two weeks wearing the No.78 guernsey for VFL affiliate Casey did not feel like a fall from grace for the former co-captain, but it was the feedback he received from the Demons' coaching staff that made the experience valuable.

He forced his way back into the senior side for the round five game against Fremantle, but was dropped the following week for the match-up with the Swans.

After breaking his thumb in round 11, Grimes was brought back through the VFL before being recalled to the senior side for Sunday's clash against St Kilda at the MCG.

"It hit pretty hard, especially for the round one game (against Gold Coast). Everyone wants to play round one and it was a bit of a shock to the system," Grimes told AFL.com.au.

"I do feel like it was a wake-up call and something I needed."

The club's coaching staff urged the 26-year-old to be more accountable on his opponent and not sag off looking for easy kicks.

They also implored him to be more bold when in possession, and create the run and drive backline coach Jade Rawlings has urged his defenders to carry out in 2015.

Grimes completed both assignments with aplomb during the Demons' 37-point loss to St Kilda, perhaps shaded by midfielder Jack Viney as Melbourne's best player.

Grimes, who is contracted until the end of 2016, had his best game in a number of years, collecting a season-high 28 disposals and 18 handball receives.

The fact that he was made to earn his spot with a two-week stint in the VFL before being brought back for the game against the Saints made the performance more satisfying.

However, Grimes - who stepped down from the captaincy alongside Jack Trengove at the end of the 2014 season - is well aware about how quickly things can change.

"For me personally I need to keep on edge and keep making sure I'm doing all the right things to keep my spot because there's still a lot of guys playing well in the VFL," Grimes said.

Despite an encouraging individual performance, Grimes said it was disappointing to see the team make such fundamental errors which cost it dearly against the Saints.

"I felt comfortable out there but it was a frustrating day as a team because it felt like when we did the things we'd talked about and played the way we wanted to play, we were right in the game," Grimes said.

"But we didn't do it consistently at all. It was frustrating for a lot of guys out there and there'll be a fair bit to review out of that game."