IT'S NOW or never for Melbourne veteran Bernie Vince as he eyes a finals berth before his decorated career comes to a close.

Vince, 32, is the oldest player on the Demons' list and signed a one-year contract extension at the end of last year.

"You're not sure how long you have left in footy when you get to my age," Vince said on Monday.

"You get impatient ... these young guys coming through, although they're disappointed, they probably have a long time to make up for it.

"But guys like myself, Jordan Lewis and Nathan Jones, we're at an age where we get a little bit impatient and we want results now.

"We think we've set ourselves up really well." 

Melbourne has not played in the finals since 2006 and heartbreakingly missed out on September action last year by just 0.5 per cent. 

The Demons were impressive in a 53-point victory over North Melbourne in their JLT Community Series opener in Tasmania on Saturday. 

Vince said the kind of form his club displayed on the weekend was an indicator of things to come. 

"Inside the footy club, we've been excited about this young list for a couple of years," he said. 

"We were a bit disappointing towards the end of last year, we fell away. 

"It might not end up being a bad thing, the disappointment of missing out. 

"Hopefully we can turn that excitement into results." 

Vince has trained as a defender in the pre-season and he concedes he'll need to continue to raise the bar in terms of his individual performance given the depth the Demons have in those positions. 

The veteran was typically composed in picking up 18 touches at 83.3 per cent efficiency against the Kangaroos at Kingston Twin Ovals on the weekend. 

"There's pressure on all players," Vince said. 

"I feel pressure every year I've played. You always want to play at the top level so if I'm in form I'll play, and same with everyone else." 

Melbourne has a week's break before its second JLT Community Series game on March 8 against St Kilda at Casey Fields.