FORMER Melbourne skipper Brad Green has been given a pretty simple explanation as to what he needs to do to get back into the senior team after being dropped for Saturday's game against Richmond.
 
He has to perform.
 
Melbourne's assistant coach Leigh Brown told a Friday press conference that the reason for Green's demotion was that he was out of form.  
 
Green's omission comes just two games into the season, after going from being the captain in 2011 to being left out of the club's leadership group in the pre-season. Brown said the coaches had a good chat with Green and expected him to respond well to the latest setback.
 
"He'll go back [and] play some good footy, as we expect him to do as an experienced player at our footy club," said Brown. "We expect him to go back, play the structures, play some good footy, get some touch and he will be knocking on the door sooner or later I would have thought."
 
Brown said Green's attitude had been fantastic but the 243-game veteran was just going through a patch familiar to every player.

"[He's] just not getting a touch," he said. "We expect him to go out and work hard as he has been doing and hopefully the footy falls his way. No doubt it will."
 
Green has taken his demotion to the VFL on the chin and is determined to return his form to AFL standard in response.
 
The 31-year-old former skipper was dropped on Thursday night after collecting 14 touches in round one against the Brisbane Lions, and just 11 against West Coast last weekend.
 
It is the first time he has been omitted since round 19, 2003.
 
Green took to Twitter on Thursday night to throw his support behind coach Mark Neeld and dispel any suggestion of a rift between the two.
 
"Thank's for the msg's. I have the utmost respect for Neeldy, we always have open and honest discussions. The reason I am not picked is form," Green said.
 
"Get behind the boys on Sat, I want to see a huge Demon crowd at the MCG... I will be doing everything I can to get back in the side...."
 
Back in the side after missing round two is livewire forward Aaron Davey, who was embroiled in the Jason Mifsud saga last week. The matter was settled on Tuesday after he met Mifsud in a mediation session.

"Aaron [Davey] has been positive and enthusiastic the whole time," said Brown. "He had some tough [training] sessions in Perth and his ability to use the footy out on the track has stood out and that is why he is back in the team."
 
Davey's absence was notable as the Demons failed to record a tackle inside their forward 50 against the West Coast Eagles. With just 32 inside 50s recorded. Brown said it was an aspect of the game he expected to improve this week.

"I think we had 12 [tackles inside 50] in a quarter the week before so we can definitely do it," said Brown. "The expectation is for the boys to work hard and really put their preseason into game related situations and move forward and run with the footy and chase and hunt the footy so we expect them to tackle better this week."
 
The other player on the Demons' most talked about list is Jack Watts. He has shown promise playing on a wing in the first two rounds, his play outside the stoppages a good sign for the future. However Brown says the role he has played in the first two rounds just forms part of Watts' progress towards becoming a more flexible and valuable player.

He said high-flying forward Jeremy Howe was another attacking player being given a chance to play in the midfield.
 
"Jack and Jeremy certainly have really good engines and can play on a wing and go forward and can be a mismatch for the opposition with their height as well so [it's] just adding that flexibility to our team," said Brown.

Brad Green is a $383,900 forward in Toyota AFL Dream Team. Register your team here.

Jennifer Witham is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.