MELBOURNE has signed Geelong's Shannon Byrnes for two years.

As an unrestricted free agent the 28-year-old dual premiership small forward was able to make the choice to join the Demons.

Byrnes has played 108 games with the Cats and played in their 2007 and 2009 premiership teams.

He has played just nine games in the past two seasons with Geelong, but played a significant part in Geelong's VFL premiership in 2012.

He said the chance to fill a forward role in Melbourne's senior team and to bring across what he had learned during his time at Geelong was exciting.

"I guess the opportunity is the big thing that attracted me to Melbourne first and foremost," Byrnes told AFL.com.au.

"I can see myself fitting into the group really well. Hopefully I can bring some knowledge from Geelong and get Melbourne back on track to being the successful team that I know everyone thinks they can be."

Byrnes will add leadership and experience in a winning environment to the Demons as they aim to develop a core group of talented youngsters: "I've always felt like I've known a lot about the game itself and wanted to pass it on so it is a role I am looking forward to and it is the next step in my career."

He kicked eight goals in nine finals with the Cats and his run was instrumental in the last quarter of the 2009 Grand Final against St Kilda when Geelong overcame a seven-point three-quarter time deficit to win by two goals.

Byrnes said that experience was part of what he offered Melbourne and was an important consideration for Demons' coach Mark Neeld.

"If you're not in that winning culture you don't know what it looks like and you are sort of guessing at what is the right thing to do," Byrnes said. "Coming from Geelong I know what it (that culture) looks like and I'll know if players are on the right track or not so I can pass that on to the boys that are here."

Byrnes admitted that the decision to leave the club he joined in 2004 was the toughest call of his career to date but he also knew it was the right one and he leaves with good relationships in place. 

"I don't think I will leave with any bad feelings from anyone," Byrnes said. "It was absolutely the hardest decision that I have had to make but having said that I felt like it was the right one and that my opportunities were elsewhere and I don't think any of the boys begrudge the decision that I have made and they have all wished me the best."

Byrnes is under no illusions however that plenty of hard work is required to lift Melbourne up the ladder. 

"Obviously they are a team that are not going as well as they would like and I suppose they are in a little bit of a transitional phase," Byrnes said.

"Having said that they have a lot of young exciting players but I suppose a lot of teams have a lot of young exciting players. It is what you do with those young exciting players that makes a good team."

Having watched some of the modern era's superstars develop from raw and exciting youngsters to greats of the game, Byrnes understands what lies ahead.

"You can't just be happy with being young and exciting. I think you should try to make that step to accomplished as soon as possible," Byrnes said.

While some people have questioned the introduction of free agency into the AFL this season, Byrnes said its introduction is positive from his perspective.

"It is just the best possible thing that could have come in for me at this stage. To be able to have a choice and a bit of control over my own future instead of just throwing yourself into a lottery and getting picked up by anyone, you can actually go somewhere you want to go," Byrnes said.

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