THERE was no holding back at Melbourne training on Wednesday morning, as the players were put through a rigorous two-hour training session at Gosch's Paddock.
Under the watchful eye of coach Paul Roos, the Demons players practised their lateral ball movement, by hand and foot, as well as transitioning the ball from one end of the ground to the other.
The players' want to run and support teammates was noticeable, along with their efforts to sprint through to their given group.
Jack Watts' and Viv Michie's clean foot skills stood out, while Jimmy Toumpas' and Matt Jones' running to receive was impressive.
Toumpas appeared to strain his knee in an earlier drill that involved busting through buffeting bags, but he shook it off and finished the session without any problem.
Dean Terlich also received treatment on some tightness in his back, but it did not seem to hamper his efforts later in the session.
Skills were not the only thing on show, as the group took a break in the middle of training to do some specific fitness training.
It involved the players running as far as they could around Gosch's Paddock – only stopping when the coach's whistle rung out.
Midfielder Daniel Nicholson – as is typical – streeted the field on both occasions, over an approximate distance of 300m.
Mitch Clark, Chris Dawes, Jesse Hogan and Jack Trengove were all absent from the session, while Jack Grimes and Mitch Clisby, who each had their quads heavily bandaged, were limited to walking laps.
Max Gawn and Dom Tyson, who is still restricted with a slight knee complaint, worked on their positioning at centre clearances on the opposite oval.
Roos' encouraging and instructional voice was constant throughout the session, while Colin Garland's leadership – to praise teammates for particular efforts – also stood out.
