CO-CAPTAIN Jack Grimes has spoken of the difficulty of playing for Melbourne in 2012, given it has won just four matches and has dealt with several on and off field issues.
Grimes spoke honestly at Melbourne’s Foundation Heroes event at Crown on Tuesday night, offering an insight into the club’s season from a player’s perspective.
“To be honest, it has been hard. Losing round one was hard. Being zero [wins] and nine [losses] was hard. To see our big, new recruit go down, along with many others, was hard,” he said.
“To be sitting just above the two newest teams in the competition, after going into the season with so much hope, excitement and expectation is hard.
“For everyone involved with the Melbourne Football Club - 2012 has been hard.”
Although Grimes said it had been a tough year for the players, he acknowledged that was just as difficult for Melbourne supporters.
“We feel for you, because you don’t get an opportunity to see what goes on inside these four walls,” he said.
“We speak a lot about the analogy - the tip of the iceberg - and what you see on game day is just a little tip of ice above the water.
“Underneath the water is all of the work that you don’t see.”
Grimes said Melbourne was a new football club in 2012, and players had been challenged like nothing before. He added that there had been a “ruthless approach to training, which demanded match-like intensity”.
“There are new standards, new attitudes and a new sense of urgency - and a new found hunger to be the best and a new coach who demands nothing less.
“Every player - whether it be their first year or 10th year - is being challenged physically and mentally and believe me - it’s hard.
“The best thing about it is that there is no easy way out - a heads down, bum up attitude and a want to improve.”
But Grimes said he had learned more about his football in 2012 than in any other year.
“And I know I’m not alone,” he said.
Grimes spoke honestly at Melbourne’s Foundation Heroes event at Crown on Tuesday night, offering an insight into the club’s season from a player’s perspective.
“To be honest, it has been hard. Losing round one was hard. Being zero [wins] and nine [losses] was hard. To see our big, new recruit go down, along with many others, was hard,” he said.
“To be sitting just above the two newest teams in the competition, after going into the season with so much hope, excitement and expectation is hard.
“For everyone involved with the Melbourne Football Club - 2012 has been hard.”
Although Grimes said it had been a tough year for the players, he acknowledged that was just as difficult for Melbourne supporters.
“We feel for you, because you don’t get an opportunity to see what goes on inside these four walls,” he said.
“We speak a lot about the analogy - the tip of the iceberg - and what you see on game day is just a little tip of ice above the water.
“Underneath the water is all of the work that you don’t see.”
Grimes said Melbourne was a new football club in 2012, and players had been challenged like nothing before. He added that there had been a “ruthless approach to training, which demanded match-like intensity”.
“There are new standards, new attitudes and a new sense of urgency - and a new found hunger to be the best and a new coach who demands nothing less.
“Every player - whether it be their first year or 10th year - is being challenged physically and mentally and believe me - it’s hard.
“The best thing about it is that there is no easy way out - a heads down, bum up attitude and a want to improve.”
But Grimes said he had learned more about his football in 2012 than in any other year.
“And I know I’m not alone,” he said.
