The Demons returned to pre-season training on Monday and already coach Paul Roos has identified the need to further refine the club's match play.
"The focus for the first week on return is getting back into football training and then it’ll quickly focus on developing their game plan further," Demons football manager Josh Mahoney told the club's website.
"Roosy (Paul Roos) wants to implement it and prepare the players for round one."
Mahoney said Melbourne players would play two or three practice matches before the start of the home and away season."
North Melbourne's pre-season began in earnest in Utah last November, and like the Demons, their focus has now shifted to football specific training.
Kangaroos midfielder Ryan Bastinac said the trip to Utah was well worth it, although it took some time to adapt to the different altitude.
"Me and Robbie Tarrant are normally the ones to get crook but the club managed us through it really well," he told Melbourne radio station RSN on Wednesday.
"They eased us into the camp so we didn’t do all of the sessions. We’d take part in all of the skills but only about half of the running in the first week. By the end of the camp we were doing everything."
In Adelaide, veteran midfielder Scott Thompson is nearing a return to full training following off-season hip surgery.
Thompson admits he's "behind the eight ball" but says he is doing everything in his power to catch up to his teammates.
"I'm not too far off joining the main group. It’ll be good to get back out there and run around with the boys," Thompson told FIVEaa radio.
"I'm a bit behind the eight ball in terms of football work but I’ve done a mountain of cross training – I feel like I should be doing triathlon not footy. I’ve done a heap of swimming, cycling, boxing and work on the elliptical machines to maintain a strong fitness base."
Defender Brent Reilly, who underwent shoulder surgery in July, is being nursed into full-scale contact training, while Taylor Walker has progressed to 85-90 per cent of his running training.
Sydney Swans players were put through a taxing 3km time trial on Wednesday, with youngster Lloyd Perris emerging victorious.
Perris shaved more than 20 seconds off his best time to take out the event, with star midfielder Dan Hannebery and Dan Robinson next across the line.
Swans forwards coach Henry Playfair singled out Gary Rohan and Tom Mitchell – in his first run back since off-season ankle surgery – as other strong performers.
Essendon players sweated it out with a 2km time trial around Princes Park.
Rookie and 2012 Australian 800 metre running champion Johnny Rayner finished first in front of Patrick Ambrose and Brent Stanton.
Twitter: @AFL_BenGuthrie
