IT WAS great to record our first victory of the season on Saturday afternoon against Adelaide – it was easily our best win for the year!

The feeling was one of relief, excitement and hope. We turned up on Monday and it was bubbly around the place – there's nothing like a win to give the club hope.

It was just what we needed after a gut-wrenching loss in round nine. I was personally disappointed with my game against the Kangaroos, when Shannon Grant kicked four goals on me, so I really wanted to bounce back against Adelaide.

I look back at the 2000 qualifying final win against Carlton, when I had an impact in one quarter, booting four goals. Comparing that match to the weekend, when I had plenty of touches, is hard.

It's about playing your role. Yes, I got a few disposals, but hopefully I played my role for the coach – that was the most important thing for the team. 

It's still frustrating, however, as we could have entered round 11 with a 4-6 record, but instead we're 1-9. Last year we won those close matches, but this season luck has been against us and we've been hit hard by injury - that's footy.

It's been a tough few months and it's not easy losing games of footy. The players at the club don't like losing matches, but we know we can match it with the best, if we get everything going on the day.

From the outside, people don't always see that and sometimes teams get judged where they are on the ladder, rather than what's been happening – it's a tough sport.

The media scrutiny on us hasn't been too bad, although Robert Walls wanted to trade a few of us – including me – according to an article he wrote in The Age on Saturday. That sort of article is always going to be written when wins are hard to come by.

Although I read the papers throughout the week, I don't read them on game day, so I wasn't aware of the article until someone mentioned it to me before the game.

Basically, someone came up to me and said: "Where are you getting traded to?" I didn't know what they were talking about at the time, but later found out that it was one person's opinion within the media.

What I really take notice of is what the coaching staff, my peers and teammates say.

If people want to talk about trades in round 10, then it's going to be a long season.

But if it ever came about I'd be disappointed. I love the Melbourne Football Club. I love the people around the place. Ultimately, I love coming to work everyday.

Walls also mentioned getting rid of some very good players – Cameron Bruce, Russell Robertson, Travis Johnstone and Jeff White. I don't think trading those players is the answer and I don't think we're in a rebuilding phase. I think we're always building.

If we can have an injury-free season, we can start to get going again.