IMPROVING training standards has been a "big focus" at Melbourne this pre-season as the club tries to bridge the gap between their best and worst, according to key defender Lynden Dunn.
The Demons resumed training on Monday with a tough first session at Gosch's Paddock, which extended over two hours.
The players took part in a series of running drills, cardio as well as skills training with some players a little rusty with their marking and foot skills after the Christmas break.
In Paul Roos' first season in charge last year, Melbourne won four games, two more than the previous season and the club is determined to improve further.
"In the past, training standards have fluctuated from good to very good to average standard, so we're just trying to bridge that gap," Dunn told the club's website.
"That'll translate into our footy on game day as well.
"We've got some good players at the club now with Heritier [Lumumba], Ben Newton and Jeffy Garlett for example and they've let us know that we're not that far away and we've got the talent here.
"I think we're slowly building the work ethic as well to go with it and become a good footy club again."
Having had 12 months under Roos, the relationship between the playing group and the coaching staff has continued to grow and Dunn said that was a key factor behind the Demons' strong showing in the pre-season so far.
"Everyone has built better relationships with each other," he said.
"We know what Roosy expects of us and the way he coaches – he understands us better as players, along with the line coaches as well.
"We've got that really good base that we've had for 12 to 18 months now and I think it's going to hold us in good stead going into 2015."
Dunn had a standout season in 2014, finishing a career best fourth in Melbourne's best and fairest count.
As a key pillar in Melbourne's defence, he matched it with some of the best forwards in the game early on in the season including Collingwood's Travis Cloke and Port Adelaide's Jay Schulz, but his form dropped off as the season wore on.
The 27-year-old, who was added to the club's leadership group last season, said he was determined to not only take his game to the next level but help the club achieve success in 2015.
"I've got plenty of energy and I've still got the hunger inside me," he said.
"I tailed away, as did the team, towards the end of last season, so I've got that drive inside me.
"I just really want to take the footy club forward and being a leader now – it's up to me and the other leaders to really drive where we're going, the training standards, the standards off the field and game day.
"It's a great challenge for us as a leadership group, but I'm really excited for all of the boys that we've got in over the trade [and recruiting] period.
"We've had five weeks together now and we're really building a solid base to hit the ground running."
