If pre-season training intensity is anything to go by, Melbourne enters 2023 among the best premiership hopes once again.
Melbourne was a dominant premiership favourite in 2022 and started the season 10-0 before fading late in the season and exiting the finals in straight sets.
But it appears Max Gawn’s men have come back with a vengeance.
After getting around to numerous clubs throughout the pre-season, King is especially liking what he’s seeing from the Demons.
“The competitiveness of the Melbourne footy club session (every session) at this time of year is panels in front of what I’ve seen from the rest,” the dual-premiership Kangaroo told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“It’s almost like they’ve got a point to prove every session they arrive.
“We know the first eight rounds of the year set up your finals opportunities, there are only one or two changes in the back half of the season to the top eight year on year post that point, so the start is incredibly vital for these clubs.”
However, one factor that may slow Melbourne down is an absent Max Gawn. Scans will reveal the severity of a hamstring injury that brought an early end to the skipper’s training on Friday morning.
Melbourne claimed a breakthrough flag in 2021 and boasts the most talented midfield in the competition, but struggled ahead of the ball last year.
King added that he expects Melbourne and other clubs to adopt similar traits to last year’s premiers going forward.
Playing on quickly from a mark is the one game-style aspect he’s seen from every club across the pre-season.
“That’s the one thing that I am seeing across every club once you’ve won the ball back,” King said.
“Get the ball moving, don’t take that five or six seconds just standing there waiting for a pack to arrive down the wing.
“It’s almost like those days are gone now. Make a decision, pull the trigger. Whether it’s a 15 or 20-metre kick or a longer one, just make that call.
“All clubs are challenging their midfielders to provide an option on the way out and the high half forwards, they’ve been asked to do a hell of a lot of work in the match-sim we’ve seen so far.
“I think it’s going to be a great season if every club can come down that path that Collingwood and Geelong showed us in the back half of last year is incredibly successful. You can still support your defence and be strong enough to protect your own goals if you do turn the ball over, so it’s exciting.”
Clubs are beginning to get into more serious scratch games as the season nears, with Round 1 less than two months away.