MELBOURNE vice-captain Cameron Bruce says he still has "a few years left" in the game and wants to be a part of the new wave sweeping through the club.

Bruce remains one of Melbourne's most consistent and reliable performers and is set to play his 200th AFL match this Saturday against Geelong at Skilled Stadium.

He says he is feeling fresh, despite some trying times at the club in recent seasons.

"I started playing later than most people. I didn't play in the under-18 system and I concentrated on my schooling, so I'm definitely not burnt out. I feel I've got quite a few years left in me," he said from the Junction Oval on Monday.

"I want to be around to see these guys coming in and seeing their real potential come out and achieve that success.

"It'd be a great honour to be a part of a winning culture again and the club that has these great players coming through again."

Bruce said the past two wins over West Coast and Port Adelaide had given him plenty of optimism for the future. 

"The last couple of weeks have been really exciting and I'm so excited about the young guys that are coming into this club and the things that they're doing," he said.

"The young guys that have come into the club this year are probably the most exciting bunch that I've seen come in since I've been at the club for 10 or 12 years.

"To think that they've come in and they're having the impact that they are in their first year, when we're not going that well, is something that the whole club and supporters should be very excited about."

Bruce is the reigning Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy winner and is a genuine contender to go back-to-back this year. But the 29-year-old's journey into the AFL hasn't been an easy one.

Originally a supplementary list player at Melbourne (when clubs had top up players for their reserves side only), Bruce was later drafted by the Demons in the 1999 AFL Draft (No.64 overall).

Having also been overlooked as a rookie list player in the late 1990s, Bruce never imagined he would reach the double-ton milestone.

"Definitely not," he said. "After getting knocked back for a rookie list spot, two years in a row, I didn't think I'd ever get one game out.

"To be in that position, it's a great honour and it's something that is a real bonus to play so many games."