IF YOU wanted an indication of the fast-paced style Melbourne is set to play with in 2017, you only needed to look at the level of intensity the team trained with on Monday.
New coach Simon Goodwin has made no secret of the fact he wants his side to play with dare, energy and an attacking mindset as he takes charge of a team on the precipice of finals action.
The coach said as much at last Thursday night's Annual General Meeting in a presentation to members at the MCG.
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"We want our fans to be excited about where we are," Goodwin said.
"We are now generating higher expectations around our performances and I think that's a great position for this footy club to be in."
Melbourne wants to be renowned as a team that is proficient in transition, and that part of the gameplan was front and centre as the players hit the training track on Monday morning.
In the main training drill, the Sherrin pinballed all over Gosch's Paddock as Goodwin watched eagerly from his post in the thick of the action on the ground.
The primary drill lasted for a little more than an hour, with the players breaking up into three teams and going head to head in a repetitive defence versus attacking sequence.
The three teams rotated on and off the field in similar fashion to an ice hockey side making substitutions, as the defensive side became severely disadvantaged because they were forced to contend with fewer numbers.
It was clear Goodwin and the club's coaching staff wanted to see how fluently the ball could move from one end of the ground to the other.
And, for the most part, the Demons looked impressive in that facet of the game.
Although it was against token defence, the speed of the Demons' ball movement instantly stood out.
The players have been instructed to return the football to the corridor at every opportunity and they did this habitually throughout the session.
They were also not afraid to swing onto their opposite foot to get the ball moving quickly to the next open man, a skill the players have been practicing a lot over summer.
With fewer numbers in defence, there were plenty of goals out the back of the zone and Melbourne will try to create more of those opportunities throughout 2017.
The clean hands of marquee recruit Jordan Lewis were noticeable, as a clean pick-up from an errant pass inside defensive 50 translated to a goal at the other end, when he speared a kick to a teammate on the wing.
Jesse Hogan operated further up the ground than usual, and looked in fine nick, third-year defender Oscar McDonald looked as confident as he ever has with ball in hand, and James Harmes ran hard to create.
Tom McDonald, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Mitch King and Cam Pedersen worked solidly in the rehab group.
Jake Melksham, Neville Jetta, Mitch White and Christian Salem had a difficult conditioning session, with fartlek training – changing speed over a set distance – the order of the day.
Melbourne sent out the AFL's youngest side on 14 occasions in 2016, a sign that proves the team has a lot of talent to work with, according to Goodwin.
"The players have come back with an extremely positive attitude and they've shown a willingness to work hard and get better as a team," Goodwin said last week.
"We want to create a program where players want to come to work everyday and get better and have success, and we're seeing signs of that every day we walk in."
Melbourne's final training day is set for Wednesday and the players will return on January 5 following the Christmas break.
Jack Watts and Jayden Hunt get to grips with each other at pre-season training. Picture: Getty Images
