JAYDEN Hunt is known for his flashy pace off half-back, but the speedster went forward against Brisbane on Saturday and proved to be an asset for his side.

The 23-year-old was at his best early bringing that iconic running game to the forward half, and he said the coaching staff were keen to utilise him in multiple areas on the field this year.

“Goody (Simon Goodwin) just decided to add to my versatility,” Hunt told Melbourne Media.

“I played it a few years ago and I think I can definitely play the position.

“We’ve got just so much depth down in the back and it’s always good to have guys who can play at both ends so it just adds to my versatility for the season.”

The decision to play Hunt in the forward half was relatively fresh, but he felt ready to take on the challenge against the Lions.

“I trained it this week and I’m pretty comfortable with the position,” he said.

“I’ve done the training in the past and know what to do.”

Hunt started the game up forward and got his side off to a flyer with a couple of majors in the opening minutes.

“It was a good start - obviously getting two (goals) gets the confidence up for the game,” he said.

Although the Demons fell seven points short of victory at Casey Fields, there were plenty of positives to take from the clash in the lead up to Round 1.

“I think it was a big hit-out,” Hunt said.

“Losing two (players – Jay Kennedy Harris and James Harmes) in the first half meant it was an absolute battle for the rest of the game – I think the km’s would’ve been well and truly up so everyone was pretty cooked.

“But as the coaches said, it was the perfect lead into Round 1."

It was a warm day out at Casey putting the Demons' fitness to the test, but Hunt said it was a great dress rehearsal for the home and away season.

“It’s going to be late in quarters early in the season where teams are going to blow out, so to have that extra battle with the two down was a good thing," Hunt said.

“We’ve got 14 days until Round 1, so we’ll be fresh by then, so I think it was the perfect sort of hit-out.”