DEAN Bailey was recently asked who had trained the house down over the pre-season.

It's a given this topic will be raised around this time of the year, but each season it adds some intrigue as to who supporters should watch out for over the coming months.

Bailey reeled off three youngsters – Austin Wonaeamirri, James Frawley and Clint Bartram.

Bartram has been aware of this praise and realises that his form during pre-season is important to achieving his personal goals.

"I've just got to keep going along and doing what I've been doing and push up as one of the elite midfielders in our team. That's more or less the way I look at it and Dean's really supportive of that," Bartram told melbournefc.com.au.

"Dean is really instructional in our development, especially with the young guys. He walks you through what we should be doing, if we're doing something wrong. There is a lot of clarity when he teaches us, so it's a good relationship."

Now in his fourth AFL season, Bartram says this pre-season has been his best for several reasons, which has also resulted in the addition of three kilograms to his now solid frame.

"It's been a fantastic pre-season for, not just myself, but for a lot of the boys. Everyone has put on a lot of size and the strength is there, so it's promising," he said. 

"The key is being injury free and being able to do the sessions. I've been on a modified program, which allows me to do a little bit less running on the joints and a little bit more aerobic work in the pool or in the gym on the bike or cross-training.

"I haven't had a real pre-season [until now]. Even in my first year, we (the draftees) came in late, but it definitely helps a lot more."

He credits new strength and conditioning coach Valeri Stoimenov for helping him over the summer.

"The weights program is a lot different this year. Valeri is an amazing weights coach. He knows his stuff and he's got us lifting and pulling heaps of weights, so it comes down getting in the gym and being shown proper techniques," Bartram said.

"We've sat down individually with the dietician, the coach and Valeri to see which guys want to put on weight and which guys don't. They wanted me to put on a bit more weight.

"I've put more work into my legs than my upper body to absorb some of the shock out of my knees and ankles, which has been good and I'm feeling a lot fitter running around."

Bartram, who has been a run-with midfielder/half-back so far in his career, says his aim is to spend greater time in the middle this season.

"The coaches want me run through the midfield a little bit more this year, so with a bigger pre-season than last year, it'll be a bit easier to pick up on the speed of the game and my fitness is right up there," he said.

"If I can run through there, it'll be a big stepping stone and another notch to my belt, by learning the craft off Brock [McLean] and a few of the older boys that are in there.

"There are going to be times when I have to play on someone, which I'm more than happy to do, but they (the coaches) have said that I might have a little bit more of a license to run free.

"My game is based around defence anyway, so it's a natural thing for me to go and pick up a guy and run with him.”

Dream Team watch – Clint Bartram is rated a $248,100 defender in Toyota AFL Dream Team 2009.