MELBOURNE skipper David Neitz says the Demons' tough new disciplinary code will eventually lift their on-field performance, but admits it might have made things tougher in the opening round.

Forward Colin Sylvia will miss the round-one clash with Hawthorn at the MCG on Easter Sunday after the club suspended him earlier this week for breaking a team-imposed curfew and missing a recovery session.

It follows the indefinite demotion of Brock McLean from the club's leadership group and a pre-season suspension of defender Nathan Carroll for other off-field disciplinary issues.

Neitz, speaking at the AFL captains launch at Telstra Dome on Thursday, said the new player-instigated code of conduct was strict, but it would have long-term benefits for their football.

"I think the transfer will come across in the fact that it's a discipline-type thing, hopefully it will encourage guys to hold their peers to account, not just in off-field, but in on-field roles and things like that as well," Neitz said.

"One of the big things that comes out of it is a communication thing, it wasn't necessarily just the leadership group involved in the decisions that we've made.

"We've included the wider group and it's involved a lot of forthright discussion and hopefully that translates out onto what we're doing on the footy field."

Neitz said suspending Sylvia was very tough, given the Demons are desperate to make an early impression after coming 14th in 2007 and enduring a winless pre-season.

"It's the Melbourne footy club's 150th year and everyone wants to start it well, so it's really disappointing, it's a really difficult decision to make," the skipper said.

"But I think for the integrity of what we're trying to do it's a decision we had to make."

The veteran forward admitted Melbourne were having some pre-season "teething problems" adjusting to the game plan of new coach Dean Bailey, but said they should not be written off as serious contenders.

“There's plenty of examples from last year of teams coming from seemingly nowhere, which is where we're sitting at the moment, nowhere," he said.

“No-one's really rating us too highly and that's fine and, given our pre-season form, justified.

“But I think within the group we know that when we put it together we can be a fairly dangerous side."

He said a good run with injuries after a horror season on that front in 2007 would be the biggest factor in lifting the club up the ladder.