Sylvia, who was suspended in pre-season for breaking a curfew and has had a range of other misdemeanours, had a good first half in last week's win against Richmond, kicking two goals on the run during the Demons' second-quarter burst.
But Bailey said he expected Sylvia, the No.3 pick in the 2003 NAB AFL Draft, to back up his solid performance with another on Sunday against Adelaide, with wet conditions expected to suit him.
"I like to think Colin might get on a bit of a roll from now on, regardless of the conditions on Sunday; and he's got a big body so conditions are not a concern for him to perform well," Bailey said.
"I think it's fair enough that Colin should really start to play the standard that I think most people are hoping he will. He's worked very hard, so he's under no illusions."
Bailey said predictions of hail and thunderstorms for Sunday would have a huge impact on the game, and did not rule out the possibility of making last-minute changes to the line up.
"If it's pouring at one o'clock or 12 o'clock – whether we decide to pull a small player in from one of the emergencies or not ...
"I'd like to think the 22 we've picked should still perform well if it's wet or not," he said.
St Kilda's pressure against Adelaide back in round two impressed Bailey, with Melbourne looking to apply the same physicality at each contest.
"I think what St Kilda did was quite good in their pressure," he said.
"I thought the Saints pressured from the sides really well and forced some turnovers with their skills, so that's an element we've got to bring on Sunday."
Bailey singled out Adelaide's attacking run off half-back and its defensive zone as a threat to Melbourne and said field position and contested ball was the key to getting his side's second win for the season.
"You've got to be able to have an impact in the game now when you don't have the ball. How you can position yourself to influence the opposition's ball movement is really super -important at the moment. The zonal aspect is certainly there from the Crows because of that," he said.
"I still think if you can create enough one-on-one contests, it doesn't matter who you play. You give yourself enough chance to win."
Melbourne didn't train as a group on Friday, with forwards, onballers and backs all practising their goal-kicking separately.
The wet weather at training has only helped the Demons in their preparation for Sunday.
