Demons vow to repay supporters

Melbourne vice-captain Nathan Jones says the club must repay its long-suffering fans by showing improvement on the field this season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE vice-captain Nathan Jones says the team owes it to the club's long-suffering supporter base to improve this year.

Jones said he was confident the team was better placed than at the same time last year due to an influx of recruits and better training standards.

Melbourne remains the subject of an AFL investigation into allegations that it tanked in 2009, and key officials could face life bans.

The Demons must respond to the league findings by Tuesday.

While the players were determined to remain unaffected by the tanking cloud, Jones said the motivation to repay the fans for their loyalty during recent hard times was "massive".

"We really owe it to them to really lift our game," Jones told the Herald Sun.

"There has been not so much excuses, but reasons behind why we haven't been able to perform consistently. Obviously with the new coaching group it was widely reported we weren't up to fitness and up to scratch last year in a lot of areas that we need to catch up on.

"But I think we've made some really big gains this pre-season and it was a really important trade period for the club.

"There's been a big turnover and we've got some experienced players in, some really young, talented players in.

"(But) the supporters are mainly the ones who deserve some success."

Jones enjoyed a career-best season last year, winning his first club best-and-fairest award. The Demons won four games, finishing third last.

The 25-year-old said the club's mature-age recruits had had a major impact over summer, adding leadership and lifting training performance.

They include Chris Dawes and Shannon Byrnes, who were both injected straight into the leadership group, and David Rodan and Cameron Pedersen.

CODE-HOPPER Karmichael Hunt is among three players dumped from Gold Coast's new-look leadership structure for 2013.

Inaugural Suns skipper Gary Ablett will keep the reins for a third season and vice-captain Nathan Bock and deputy vice-captain Michael Rischitelli have retained their roles.

But Hunt, Zac Smith and David Swallow have not.

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