THE DEMONS threw an extra training session into their regime this week in a bid to shock their players out of the form they displayed last Thursday night against West Coast.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said he could understand why his side faced criticism this week despite the Demons entering round seven eighth on the ladder with two and a half wins.

"You're only ever judged on your previous performance and our last game against West Coast was really poor - it was really poor in whatever angle you want to look at," he said on Friday. 

"When you perform poorly, you expect the scrutiny to come and that is what's been done - because of the way we performed. That's the nature that we're in.

"This week we've made a couple of changes in the sense of our training program. We altered a few things so we could get an extra football session in.

“We've got flexibility in our program to do it and we'll continue to try and prepare them as well as we can."

The Demons meet Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday and will look to rebound from the disappointing 54-point loss to the Eagles that turned the spotlight back on the club - and its coach - for the wrong reasons this week. 

Bailey was asked about his own position and whether he felt pressure, and responded with the blunt line, "it comes with the job".

"All of the coaches are getting examined every week. Every day they get examined on what they're doing and what they're saying," he said.

"You can only control what you can control and that is to get to training, continue to coach the players and make sure that your preparation coming into every game is the best it can be."

The Demons have already omitted Cale Morton, Stef Martin and Jamie Bennell from their squad while Jared Rivers is out with an ankle.

Bailey said the seven players that had been added to the expanded bench had been considered owing to structure and effort.

"We've got a few guys whose performances at VFL level over the last four or five weeks have been pretty good," he said.

"So they get their chance to perform and I'm sure they will. They'll bring a vibrancy and urgency to the game on Sunday, which is terrific."

Bailey also said he expected his side to come under scrutiny again this weekend regarding how it rebounded, but denied it faced the biggest test this season in terms of character.

"I think every week we get tested on character. To put one game ahead of any other is wrong," he said.

"Our attitude and approach - it has to be hungrier than the week before. We set a poor standard last week and it's got to be better.

"We expect the character to come through every week and it needs to come through on Sunday."