Bate, one of Melbourne's most promising young players, was omitted for round 22 when the Demons tumbled to Richmond, but he concedes being sent back to the VFL justified.
"[It wasn't] a wake-up call, because I knew I wasn't playing that well in the last couple of games," Bate told melbournefc.com.au.
"Just towards the end of the season, I got a little bit burnt out mentally and that started to show in the way I was playing. My form warranted that I got dropped, but it could've been me or a number of boys.
"I'm glad it happened, because it's given me real motivation to have a massive pre-season. It was good to get away and freshen up.
"I've never felt more motivated or excited about coming into a pre-season. Getting dropped serves as a bit of motivation heading into this season."
The forward/midfielder has adopted a new motto for 2009 – enjoy your footy – after he realised he put far too much pressure on himself.
"That's the mindset of most of the boys now. I just want to play with a lot of enjoyment and have a lot of fun – not put any expectations or pressure on myself," Bate said.
"I also want to be smart with my body. I had a few injuries last year, which set me back a bit, especially in pre-season. I missed the first six games of the year and you're always on the back foot coming back from that.
"I'm already working with the conditioning staff to be smarter with my body. I want a full pre-season under my belt, because that's the building blocks to a good year."
He added the change in attitude is simply came from experience.
"Worrying or putting pressure on yourself isn't going to make you play any better," Bate said.
"So what's the point in it? Everyone knows and realises that, but it's harder to actually do than say it. The coaches know it and all coaches say, 'Enjoy your footy'."
