JUDD McVee reached new heights in 2023.

The young Demon entered the year having never played a senior game of AFL footy.

But after a pre-season filled with an unbridled determination to improve, McVee earned his spot in the team during Round 1, going on to play all 25 games.

Following the year, the question on everyone’s minds was ‘how did McVee manage such a meteoric rise?’

Reflecting on the season that was, the 20-year-old gave credit to one person in particular.

“When I got to the club for last year’s pre-season, Salo (Christian Salem) came in early and he asked me ‘what are your goals for pre-season?’ and I said, ‘to get a bit stronger, bit fitter’ and he pretty much just shut me down straight away,” McVee told Melbourne Media.

“He said, ‘your goal this year is to play Round 1’ and then from there, throughout the whole pre-season, we checked in with each other week-to-week.

“We did a few things - we watched vision, we did extra recovery and then I asked him about good habits off field and routines.

“I think it was the professionalism that Salo set me up with the most.

“So, he’s been a big driver for me.”

At the beginning of 2023, McVee earned his AFL debut during Round 1, playing on the hallowed turf of the MCG, in front of a crowd of 48,000 fans.

He held his own under the new-found pressure and continued to grow throughout the season, becoming a fan-favourite among the backline, thanks to his silky skills and composure coming out of defence.

While his performances continued to improve throughout the year, McVee’s mindset also continued to change for the better.

“The first game, I just wanted to play it and it was obviously a big deal,” McVee said.

“Then from Round 1, I just wanted to play Round 4, which was in Perth, so I could go home and play.

“But then I felt like I grew more confident with each game, and it went from there.

“The thing I worked on [during pre-season] was my contest and defensive side of things and I feel like that’s what got me a spot in the team.

“Then, slowly I was trying to work on my offence, and I think that’s where my calmness came into it.”

For such a breakout year, McVee collected an abundance of memorable moments, but something particularly special for the Demon was being able to play alongside his WA teammates Jacob van Rooyen and Taj Woewodin.

The trio from the west arrived at the Dees during the 2021 National Draft, making the transition to AFL together.  

“When Rooey came into the team it was pretty cool,” McVee said.

“We played in WA U18’s together and we did a lot of work in the pre-season together too.

“And then when Taj came in, it was like ‘we finally did it all together’.

“So, it was awesome and pretty cool for all our families too.”

While the Demons’ bowed out during the 2023 AFL Finals Series, McVee said the opportunity was one he’ll learn from.

“It was really exciting getting the opportunity to play finals,” McVee said.

“But we obviously wanted it to go a different way and we’ll definitely learn from that.”

2023 was just the starting point for McVee, the focus now to what he can produce in 2024.

“For me, it was such a big year, so I wanted to take myself away from the game for a bit in the off-season,” McVee said.