DEMON Brad Green says the last two weeks of season 2007 haveto be used as a springboard into next year in the wake of Melbourne's narrow loss to Collingwood.
The 26-year-old said the side could ill-afford to turn upits toes on a year that has gone from bad to worse for a side many expected tobe a finals contender.
In David Neitz's 300th appearance, the Dees camewith a late charge but failed to overhaul the Pies after conceding a six-goalhalf-time lead.
"We can't drop off and I reckon that's the thing thecoaching staff will be drilling into us this week," Green said.
"We've got to play the last two games out and it won'tbe easy but we've got to have a dip.
"As a leadership group we've got to stress (to theyounger core) that it's not the end of the season at the moment.
"We've had a couple of milestone games and the boys gotup for them but now we have to knuckle down and play the year out. It comesfrom the leadership group showing the way at training."
He said the Demons would do well to take a leaf out ofHawthorn's book. The Hawks won the last four games of last season and havetaken that form into season 2007.
"I suppose we've gone past win-loss games and thescoreboard doesn't really matter," Green said.
"It's about our intensity and building towards 2008. We'vegot some young guys who are playing some good footy and some exciting playerscoming through.
"It's about just having a dip for the MelbourneFootball Club and being proud of wearing the Melbourne jumper."
Green said the focus at half time was to fight to the end tohonour their much-loved skipper who kicked three goals and could have kickedsix if not for inaccuracy.
"We wanted to look Neita in the eye when we came offthe ground and say we had a go," Green said.
"That was the theme at half time and each and everybloke had to be able to look at him and say they tried their guts out, and theydid."
Green rated Melbourne'ssix-goal to two second half as some of the side's best football of the season givenBen Holland, Daniel Bell and Aaron Davey were off the ground with game-endinginjuries.
He said the young side was perhaps a little overawed by theoccasion early in the game and in the end it cost the side dearly.
Collingwood kicked the first three goals of the game insideseven minutes without Melbournepiercing its own forward 50.
"They worked harder than us, they pushed in harder andsomehow we just had to find a way of getting back into the game," Greensaid.
"I thought the second half was some of the bestfootball we have played all year.
