MELBOURNE tough-nut Brent Moloney believes teammate Colin Sylvia has turned the corner, after the talented midfielder/forward shone for the Demons in their eight-point win against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.

Sylvia finished with 19 touches, but it was his second quarter, when he snared two goals and helped set Melbourne alight to give them a 28-point lead, which caught the eye. 

Moloney said Sylvia had "definitely" started to turn the corner since he was suspended by the club's leadership group for breaching team expectations in the pre-season. Sylvia stayed out late on a Sunday evening and was suspended for Melbourne's final NAB Challenge match against the Western Bulldogs.

"We started him in the middle and he usually plays forward, and he played a lot more through the midfield. I thought he was great yesterday," Moloney said from the Junction Oval on Monday.

"There's been a bit of pressure on him. He was a No.3 draft pick, but to see him play like he did yesterday is what we want.

"It was great to see."

Moloney was also pleased with recalled forward Michael Newton's efforts.

"We've been screaming out for a forward to stand up and take a few marks and have a few shots on goal, and if he'd kicked a bit straighter, he could've kicked his five or six," he said.

"He's a dangerous player."

Moloney said the win was important for the development of ruckman John Meesen and first-year Demons Neville Jetta and Jamie Bennell.

The ex-Cat said it was disappointing to lose a player of Green's calibre for six to eight weeks with a broken jaw.

"We couldn't go in and see him, but the boys will go in and see him this arvo and say g'day to him," he said.

Moloney said the players celebrated with a team dinner on Sunday night.