MIDFIELDER Viv Michie says he will set realistic aims in 2014, as he embarks on his first year with the Demons, having returned home from Fremantle in the recent trade period exchange for pick No.54.

The 21-year-old said he simply wanted to start the season fresh, having endured a tough time with injury during his three seasons with the Dockers, after being drafted at No.44 in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft.    

“I don’t have huge expectations, other than to hopefully get through the pre-season unscathed and go into practice games fit and ready to go,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“I’m confident in my ability, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to do well.”

Michie endured a serious stress fracture in his right foot during 2011-12 – he missed the latter season in its entirety – before returning to show his wares this year via the WAFL and one AFL appearance.  

“It was tough. I played eight or nine games in the WAFL in my first season. I did the whole summer, when I first got over, and unfortunately I hurt my foot. I just had a lot of problems with that for about a year and a half, [which] I missed,” he said.

“It was definitely a hard time for me, being away from home and being away from the family support.

“It was a frustrating time not being able to get out on the park and show what I could do. You learn from that and hopefully I’m over all the injuries and I can contribute at Melbourne, which would be nice.”

Michie said he gained great confidence from making his AFL debut against Geelong in round 14 – he won 13 disposals in a half after starting as a substitute and being a late call-up to the team. He also won the club best and fairest for Peel Thunder.  

“Having missed so much footy and coming into this season, I didn’t have any huge expectations – I just wanted to hopefully string some games together and get fit and get back to playing some good footy,” he said.

“As it turned out, I felt like I had a pretty solid year at Peel Thunder in the WAFL. Eventually, I got my debut in the AFL, which was an amazing experience and one that I will hopefully keep experiencing going forward. It was a good year.”

But Michie said the opportunity to return to Victoria came after several clubs showed interest during the year.

“I had a pretty reasonable year, but I found it hard to crack a game in the seniors, because it was a strong team this year,” he said.

“I decided to weigh up my options a little bit and Melbourne was pretty good in coming to me. What they sold to me was a team that’s hopefully on the up and a team that needed more midfield depth.

“They thought that I could fill that role and I see it as a good opportunity for me to be part of it.”

Although Michie wasn’t part of Fremantle’s finest season, when it played off in its first Grand Final and fell 15 points short to Hawthorn, he said being around the club was an experience he’d never forget.

“It was a big year for the club – a club that hasn’t really had that much success and hadn’t really experienced too much finals footy,” he said.

“Just to be around the club and such a good coaching staff – and the rest of the players are so professional – I definitely learned a lot.

“Being around the Fremantle town in general was amazing – to see the community get around the team, especially going into Grand Final week, was a huge buzz, so it was nice to be part of that.”

Michie said Melbourne coach Paul Roos’ early advice to him was to simply settle into his new club.

“He’s said ‘just be a part of it and get to know the players’. Hopefully there will be an opportunity for me to play some footy, but it all comes down to hard work,” he said.

“That’s what this pre-season will be about – just getting to know the players and coaches and hopefully starting to earn some respect from them and working hard. Hopefully the rest will take care of itself and [I can] show them what I’ve got.”

Michie has reunited with former under 18s teammate Dom Tyson, who also joined the Demons in the off-season after a couple of years with Greater Western Sydney.

“I played a little bit of footy with Dom at Oakleigh Chargers, so it’s funny that we’ve both ended up here,” he said.

“It’s nice to have him here as well, while we’re both settling in, and we can feed off each other a bit and look after each other.

“It’s definitely good to have Dom on board.”

Overall, Michie said he was rapt to be back among family and friends, but he also acknowledged that it was surreal to be in Melbourne.   

“It’s a bit funny actually. It feels a bit strange to be home for good now … but it’s definitely very, very good and very exciting to be back with family and friends,” he said.

In his own words, Michie described himself as a player who “tends to win a lot of the clearances and get my hands on the footy”.

“I think I use the ball reasonably well. I’m more of an inside player and that’s the role I played over in Perth,” he said.

Expect that to continue back in Melbourne. Only this time with the Demons.