IN the first of a four-part series on melbournefc.com.au, assistant coach Peter Curran shares the inside word on the 2007 squad, covering all the players’ pre-season programs and what to expect of them in the season ahead.

Running through the list in alphabetical order, the two-time Hawthorn premiership player starts with Clint Bartram.

Clint Bartram: Clint has spent most of the pre-season in rehab and worked extremely hard to get his ankle right. He should be available and playing by round one, which is a tremendous credit to him, given the seriousness of his injury. He has lost none of the determination that was a hallmark of his play last year.

Matthew Bate: Matty managed to get some continuity into his pre-season, which will hopefully help him step his game up another notch. He’s now a third-year player and, after establishing himself last year, we’re looking for him to have an impact and assist us in the midfield.

Daniel Bell: Daniel had an uninterrupted pre-season, his first for some time. He has been able to develop a fitness base and we’re looking for him to be able to slot in down back and help Matty Whelan cover the smaller, quicker players.

Clint Bizzell: Clint has been out of the AFL scene for a year but managed to get some continuity in his preparation, which has been really important for him. He really provides some seniority in our backline, which is so crucial for us. That experience could come in pretty handy for us, given he's been able to get himself reasonably fit. So, we're looking forward to him giving us the benefit of his experience down back.

Jace Bode (rookie): Jace has had a disc problem with his back, which has severely hampered his preparation. We expect him to first get his body right and then establish himself in the senior Sandringham side. He will play in the midfield in some capacity and could develop into a run-with tagger.

Nathan Brown: The key with ‘Doggie’ Brown is that his fitness base is really solid. He’s a guy that has been plagued by soft-tissue injuries and he’s had an uninterrupted preparation, which is pretty significant for ‘Browny’. He’s one of our senior members and for him to have that solid fitness base can only help him provide the run that’s such a hallmark of his game. He’s a wonderful offensive runner.

Cameron Bruce: Brucey is now one of our most senior players. The hallmark of his game has always been his versatility; he’s been able to play down back and play on the Brad Johnsons and play in the midfield on the James Hirds and he can go forward and kick a goal. He’s certainly pretty important to us in that he can do many things and we’re certainly anticipating him playing a big role in our success this year.”

Simon Buckley: Bucks has really focused on his hardness and attention to detail in his preparation. This has enabled him to train with real energy and the result is that he’s been able to work his way into the NAB Cup team, which is a credit to him. We’re certainly looking forward to Simon continuing in that vein and forcing his way into the senior side at some stage this year.

Nathan Carroll: We’re really looking forward to Nathan building on his wonderful, breakthrough season last year. The big question for all AFL players when they have a breakthrough year is whether they can back it up. We’re certainly keen for Nathan to do that. His pace and size make him a pretty important member of our backline.

Aaron Davey: Aaron had an interrupted pre-season. He rolled his ankle a couple of times and while it wasn’t a serious injury, it was possibly a blessing in disguise, as he has been able to freshen up. He uses a lot of energy to play the game and it’s probably not such a bad thing that he’s been forced by circumstances to modify his preparation a little bit. He’s just a wonderful player who provides headaches for the opposition and we’re keen to see him provide plenty of those this year.

Lynden Dunn: Dunny is extremely dedicated and very professional in his approach to his footy. After breaking into the side last year, he’s really looking to establish himself as a regular senior player. He’s certainly a wonderful up-and-coming young player, but again, having played in the senior side, he needs to establish himself there on a regular basis. He’ll be doing everything in his power to do so.