POSSIBLY the most least understood aspect of life in an AFL club bubble is the repetitive nature of the work.

Play, seethe or celebrate, recover, review, practice, plan then play.

Melbourne's Clint Bartram has lived that cycle leading into 96 senior games.

On about 62 occasions he has fronted up after a loss, a chance of redemption just days away.

Not surprisingly this week the desire to return to the ground is stronger than most.

"I'm burning inside and I really just wanted to get out there and prove something," said Bartram. "We're not that bad and we've come such a long way and that result doesn't reflect it."

The result he speaks of was a 41-point loss to the Lions in the club's first game under new coach Mark Neeld.

Frenzied commentary followed the game as words whizzed and whirled around quicker than a series of sharp handballs. The subject brings a wry smile to Bartram's face.

"It seems ludicrous, some of the stuff that has come out this week," he said.

But the question that arose from the Demons' first game was whether what they were trying to do was beyond them right now?

"I don't think it is beyond what we are capable of achieving," said Bartram. "I think it is one of those things [where] we can't go out there and expect it to click in round one."

His smile was gone. He did not think the team was as far away as the question perhaps suggested. "It's such small things in our game style. We turn those things around [and] the scoreboard looks a little bit different," he said.

In a mad week, Melbourne's players have found solace in focusing on stoppages. There's a Zen quality to the ritual, quietening the mind and letting the learning happen.

Last Saturday the mind might have become too busy, trying too hard to fulfil what was required. From the outer, the problems seemed to stem less from confusion than execution. Once the opposition gained momentum, the task of stopping it became too hard.

"We have a consciousness of what we need to do," said Bartram. "Without a doubt the guys within the team know the roles. It's just a matter of executing it. If one chink in the chain is a bit weak, teams are good enough to expose you and that is what happened on the weekend with our stoppages."

So this game can't come around quickly enough. Last week, plenty was learned. This week presents another challenge.

"All the boys just want to play. It's all anyone at the club wants to do," said Bartram. "You want a chance to redeem what happened on the weekend."