After finishing the previous two years with the wooden spoon, Green admitted his teammates had already one eye on next year as they look to improve on their 12th placed finish from this year.
“It’s a loss that you can spur you on for six months,” Green told afl.com.au.
“In footy it’s 22 weeks and normally you come up again next week. It’s season over, but now it’s a bit of a ‘stir in the pot’ for the boys to dig deep in pre-season and get on to next year now.”
Green was instrumental in the Dees success this season, averaging 19 disposals a game to go with his tally of 55 goals for the season.
The 29-year-old said while the Dees had shown great progress this year, the challenge still lies ahead for the young Melbourne list to continue their improvement next season.
“We have improved as a side, there is no doubt about that,” he said.
“The win-loss ratio says that, and overall our ball movement, the way our side goes about it and the consistency of effort from the boys even in quarters let alone games has been a vast improvement.”
Green joined the chorus of praise for retiring skipper James McDonald, who ended his career on 251 games for Dees, which included back-to-back best and fairest awards in 2006 and 2007
Known as ‘Junior’, Green paid tribute to the inspirational leader who became just the seventh player in Melbourne’s history to play 250 games.
“What he puts in, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.
“I take my hat off to him. It’s a credit what he has done, he is a credit to his family and he is a credit to the Melbourne Football Club. I'd like to wish him all the best.”
There will be big shoes left to fill with the retirement of McDonald, and Green refused to speculate on whether he will be the man to lead the Dees next year.
“We’ll go through that process when we get back, but let’s just say well done to James,” he said.
