ACTING Melbourne captain Cameron Bruce says the introduction of youth and loss of experience in recent weeks has resulted in greater responsibility for all 22 players donning the red and blue.   

Bruce said after Sunday's thrilling one-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the MCG that the omission of ruckman Jeff White, plus the absence of several experienced players, including David Neitz, Adem Yze, Russell Robertson and James McDonald made all players stand up and be counted.

"The message is the young players need to take ownership and realise their role is so important and it's their role that will get us the result and not just five old guys … and everyone bought into that … that was what got us the result," Bruce told melbournefc.com.au.

"To win the way we did, especially being a young group – I was the oldest out there and I felt a bit ordinary actually – but to know that there is so much youth coming up, against a side like Brisbane, was great.

"It was great the younger guys are taking the coaching staff's advice on board and they're making an impact."

Despite some exciting young talent emerging at Melbourne, it was four debutants from 2000 – Bruce, Brad Green, Paul Wheatley and Matthew Whelan, who were among the standouts against the Lions.

And Bruce was quick to point out to all and sundry that the experience was still needed among the developing Melbourne group.

"'Greeny' has been reasonably consistent, I'd like to think I've been reasonably consistent and Wheatley has been reasonably consistent, so for those people to bag the older players is a little bit unfair, but where we're at, you want to look at the youth and what's coming up and that's fair enough," Bruce said.

"If supporters want to look at the youth – there is nothing but excitement with Austin Wonaeamirri coming through – and even Stef Martin came in and had an impact in his first game, so that's fair enough the young guys are the core of the team, but it's important us [experienced players] set the example and try and play our part."

Although he has been sharing the captaincy duties with reigning dual club best-and-fairest winner James McDonald, Bruce said it wasn't being the sole leader against the Lions that threw him.

"The thing that got to me more was probably being the oldest bloke out there and I probably thought about that more than being the captain," Bruce said.

"It was amazing to hear the calls in those dying minutes from Stef Martin, Lynden Dunn and Aaron Davey, so that's what we need – we're all born to lead – but with David gone and he was the main man, we're all learning in that area."

Bruce's effort to play every match this season is somewhat underrated, considering his pre-season was interrupted after Christmas, due to a knee injury, yet he has still been among Melbourne's better contributors in 2008.

"I probably get to a stage where my fitness is my strength, so you get to December where you don't get any fitter and sometimes having a few weeks off pre-season isn't the worst thing, but obviously you want to be playing those [pre-season] matches," Bruce said.

"Match fitness is a different kind of fitness to track fitness, so to miss out on some games was a concern, but the strength and conditioning and rehab staff made sure I was ready to go."

And as for his goal at the 29-minute mark of the final term – a fantastic goal on the run – the versatile Demon said he had to standup to put his side within five points.

"I knew I had the opportunity and had to kick it and Jonathan Brown had been doing it at the other end and he got Brisbane back in the game, so to kick that goal in the game was good," Bruce said.

"I actually thought we were a bit too late, but then the runner came out and said there were three or four minutes to go, so I thought: 'there's still time'.

"The young guys out there showed so much leadership and it wasn't just left up to us older guys and that's what makes the difference."