IT DIDN'T takelong for things to start going wrong for Melbournethis year.

After finishingas the highest ranked Victorian club in 2006, experts were tipping the Demonsfor another finals campaign.

But when starmidfielder Brock McLean hobbled off with a broken foot minutes before thehalf-time siren in the first match of the season, it signalled the start of adisastrous and injury-riddled season for Melbourne.

McLean was to be the driving force out of themiddle for the Demons in 2007, but says there is no point wondering what mighthave been.

"It wasprobably the best pre-season I've ever had. I was running really well and feltgood, and then all of a sudden I did the foot," he said at the club's Bestand Fairest function.

"There'snot much you can do about it, it's just an unfortunate incident and you justcop it on the chin."

McLean didn't return until Round 9, when hisside's season was already on the scrapheap.

"It wasjust frustrating to see how the year panned out when you look at the potentialwe had. To get so many injuries was more frustrating than anything else.

"The hardestthing was not having match fitness. It was pretty easy to regain my fitness butmatch fitness is a completely different thing. You get out there and lay a fewtackles and you're absolutely buggered."

McLean wasinvolved in highly-publicised incidents on a recent trip to Greece and Germany but did not think theywould have a bearing on his leadership aspirations.

"I reallyhaven't thought about it. I'm looking forward to getting back into it andhaving a big pre-season," he said.

He has sinceflown to Thailand and willhead to Chinato take part in a 10-day leadership course.

"We allhave to step up to fill the massive hole that Neita will leave when heeventually leaves – which won't be for a while, hopefully – so this sort ofleadership seminar will help us no end.