DEAN Bailey will hand an early opportunity to the club's final selection in last year's NAB AFL Draft, ruckman Jack Fitzpatrick, when Melbourne meets Fremantle at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.

Although Bailey acknowledged top-two picks Tom Scully and Jack Trengove would attract the most attention in the NAB Cup clash, he said Fitzpatrick, taken at No.50 and a former AIS-AFL Academy squad member, had impressed since November.

"He's done enough in pre-season to warrant an opportunity," he said.

"We look forward to seeing him really perform well and the two new guys we've drafted are going to take some spotlight."

Bailey said Scully and Trengove's workload would continue to be monitored carefully, but added they would be right in the Demons' plans for the start of the premiership season.

"If we can manage their progress over the next four or five weeks … then I'm sure they'll be in the mix for round one," he said.

"But that's a long way off yet and we've still got four practice games to go and they're young men with great expectations.

"But we've just got to make sure we manage them the right way, so when they do start playing they can have some longevity in the game."

Entering his third season as Melbourne coach, Bailey said the key areas his squad had focused on over the summer had been its kicking, its ability to hit targets and zones.

He was encouraged by those in last Saturday's intra-club clash at Casey Fields.

Meanwhile, wingman Cale Morton said the side was keen to see what inroads it had made over the pre-season.

"We're excited to get out there and see how much we've improved," Morton said.

"We certainly don't want to finish on the bottom of the ladder again.

"We're really looking for that marked improvement and to develop as a playing group. In a few years' time, we really want to be up there in the competition, playing finals footy and searching for the top four."