JACK Viney says he has no doubt his leadership will go to another level now that he’s had a season under his belt as co-captain.
Viney, who joined Nathan Jones in the position this season, said he will be “better for the run this year” in 2017.
“I really enjoyed my role as co-captain this year. At the start, I was a bit tentative because it was a bit controversial. For a while there, I didn’t want to upset anyone, but towards halfway through the season, I was like ‘screw this, I’ll go about my footy the way I go about my football’ and became a lot more relaxed in the role,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“I really enjoyed it and I feel like the footy club went through a lot of challenges and obstacles this year, which I could go through with Jonesy and Simon Goodwin.
“It’s been a massive year and I’ve learnt so much. It’s been a big role for myself and being able to work with Nathan and Simon has been awesome.”
After a disappointing end to the 2017 season, Viney said it would be a big pre-season for the squad.
“The summer for us will be a big lesson around the fundamentals and the basics of the game,” he said.
“For me, it was exciting to see what we could achieve this year being a such a raw football team. This is our first year under Simon, we’re still relatively young and I think there were times throughout the year when we fielded one of the youngest teams in the competition,” he said.
“To look at what we could achieve and what’s around the football club, I’m bitterly disappointed because I know we could have made it but at the same time, I look at the improvements that can be made and they’re massive so it’s a big pre-season around the fundamentals and basics of our game style which will make the biggest difference next season.”
Viney said he understood the passion of the Melbourne supporters, given his history with the club. And he said it was something not lost on him as a player.
“I’m lucky my old man was a part of the football club and I care about this place probably a little more than others because of my history,” he said.
“It gives me that little bit of extra motivation to perform on game day, but I think the biggest thing for younger players coming in is to build the relationships around the football club, and then want to buy into the standards and behaviours and the game style that we set and taking pride in performing for your mates and teammates and coaches.
“I think that’s the biggest thing – I can’t force my love for the club onto younger players because they’ve grown up supporting other football teams, but if they have strong relationships with the people around them at the football club, I feel like that’s what’s going to motivate them and drive them to want to do the best by their peers.”
Viney couldn’t thank the supporters enough for their support in 2017.
“The supporters and the fans have been enormous for our performance this year and generate a real energy around the football club,” he said.
“It spurs you that little bit more to improve and do right by the fans and supporters. It gives you that greater sense of fulfilment. Interstate, we’ve had some massive wins and no doubt, it’s off the back of the energy and support that the fans could bring.
“When you’ve got a full house at Adelaide Oval and over in Western Australia and you hear the crowd go silent and you’ve got the Melbourne cheer squad and fans going nuts and you can hear them in the background, it’s a special feeling and certainly drives us."
