MELBOURNE midfielder Cameron Bruce believes the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter for the Demons, given the encouraging signs the side showed against Geelong on Sunday.
While adamant the playing group is not satisfied with a five-goal loss to the reigning premiers, he said there were plenty of positives to be taken from the club’s third-straight loss.
“There were definitely signs of improvement [against Geelong], but you don’t play footy to lose, so we’re going to be taking the improvements out of the game and see what we can learn,” he said on Monday.
“We play the Kangaroos this week, and we hope to continue on with the upward curve.
“I still have confidence that we’re going to improve, and we’ve got so much room for improvement with where we’re making fundamental errors in our game style.”
Bruce, 28, said the Demons’ “intensity and decision-making” were the most obvious areas where improvement occurred, as well as a step up in skill level.
“We’re starting to play the type of footy that we wanted to play, and we were in the game for longer,” he said.
“We started really well, and when we were up and about, we matched it with the reigning premiers and the favourites for the flag this year.
“That was definitely a positive. We still made some silly errors, skill errors that you can’t afford to make in the competition these days. It was a big improvement, but a five-goal loss is still a pretty average effort.”
Bruce said the ultimate goal for the Demons is to learn how to be “instinctive”, much like the side they faced on Sunday at Skilled Stadium, as well as implement the new game plan Dean Bailey has brought to the club.
“There were signs yesterday that it’s starting to turn, and we’re starting to be more predictable for each other,” he said.
“Most teams are implementing the things we want to implement; it’s just about executing it on the day in the heat of the moment.
“We’ve got a lot of talent in the group and a lot of confidence that we’ll put it all together.”
Another pleasing aspect to come from the weekend was the performances of young guns Cale Morton and Austin Wonaeamirri, who combined for 38 possessions.
“They’re going to get a lot of confidence from playing a lot of game time early on, and they’re getting involved really well,” Bruce said.
“Cale is winning a lot of the ball and he’s a top draft pick, so he’s going to be a star of the future. He’s performing in his first year, and can hopefully play a full year and be consistent.
“For Austin to come in off the rookie list and apply the pressure that he does … it’s so important that he stays with those high half-forwards and apply that defensive pressure. It’s pretty special to have a couple of Aaron Davey-players in the forward line.”
The Demons had 119 interchange rotations against Geelong, which surpassed Collingwood’s new record of 114 against Richmond.
Bruce said the flurry of changes is something players are going to have to get used to, but ultimately believes increased spells on the bench is a positive.
“You’ve got to use (the bench) as a weapon,” he said.
“It’s not a negative thing to come off the ground. I’ve averaged 98, 99 per cent game time [before]. You feel that for the rest of the week leading up the next game, but these days, to play 80 per cent, or 85 per cent, you feel better leading into the next week.
“Hopefully that allows me a bit of longevity in the game.”
