Bailey said the extra manpower available on the training track this pre-season compared to the injury-ravaged squad he had this time last year provided a huge boost.
"The biggest difference has been having players on the track – that's it really," Bailey told melbournefc.com.au in the first of an exclusive three-part interview.
"By Christmas 2007, we had 17 or 18 players in modified rehab. We had three coaches, Sean Wellman, Josh Mahoney and Paul Williams, involved in drills making up the numbers. Those three trained really well, incidentally!
"But this pre-season, we've certainly got more boys training. You can train more effectively and gain more decision-making experience across the group.
"People who have been watching us at Cranbourne this pre-season have noticed we've got more players on the track. Even they've said: 'That's got to help'. There's no doubt it does and it's been a significant change from last year."
Bailey also spoke about the importance of having a summer training base at Casey Fields in Cranbourne in Melbourne's outer south-eastern region.
"Cranbourne certainly gives us a venue we can almost treat like our home ground – to some degree," Bailey said.
"The summer training program is fantastic and we intend on doing a few things in the community. We want to keep that connection going as often as we can."
