MELBOURNE co-captain Jack Viney is hungry for success in 2019 and says there’s no limits on what his side can achieve this season.
The 24-year-old has plenty of faith in the playing group but understands there are numerous challenges laying ahead.
“I’m a very optimistic person and I definitely believe we can win the flag,” Viney told the club’s podcast, Inside Melbourne.
“I’m under no illusion though that that requires so much hard work and the consistency of doing it week in and week out throughout a season is so mentally and physically taxing.”
Viney has had to watch from the sidelines as his opponents achieve the ultimate glory in past seasons, so he’s desperate to be the one amongst it at the pointy end of this season.
“When I see people who get up there and hold up the premiership cup, I’m so jealous, but I’m also so respectful because I understand being in this position how hard it actually is,” he said.
“But I definitely believe we can do it – we’ve got the group and we’ve got the mindset.
“It’s just doing it consistently and helping each other through the rough patches and getting around each other when we’re going well and try to keep it all going for the whole season.”
The Demon midfielder has his eyes firmly fixed on the grand prize and even found himself jealous of other teams’ success on the global stage.
“Even watching the Super Bowl, watching the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl, I just got so envious of that,” Viney said.
“They just looked like they were having the best time and you couldn’t imagine the sense of fulfilment they’ve achieved.
“That’s something that we’re definitely striving to get to.”
After Melbourne’s positive 2018 season, there has been some external expectation on the Dees to perform this year.
But Viney says he hasn’t felt the pressure over the pre-season.
“I don’t feel like it’s had any impact upon the playing group thus far,” he said.
“In terms of how we go about our business day to day, interactions with each other, the process of getting better, expectation doesn’t really play any factor in motivating or demotivating us.
“I’m sure come the season it might infiltrate internally, but at the moment we’re just so focused and hellbent on improving as a group.
“We’re really clear on the journey and the behaviours of what’s required, and expectation doesn’t really effect that.”
Listen to the full podcast below:
In Episode 31 of Inside Melbourne, Jack Viney and Lily Mithen join Clint Stanaway for a brand new season as co-hosts. We discuss the AFLW conference system (2:00), Jack's no sugar diet over the pre-season (5:00), the lead up to Round 1 (10.30) and much, much more.
