Melbourne captain Max Gawn is confident the Demons are starting to recapture the ruthlessness they need to defend their AFL premiership.
The Demons thrashed Brisbane and have won three of four games heading into their qualifying final against Sydney, with their mid-season run of three losses on the bounce firmly in the past.
Gawn echoed coach Simon Goodwin's focus on ruthlessness.
"When we were sitting 10-0 at the start of the year, and people were talking about that perfect season, you just know these challenges are going to come and adversity is going to come," Gawn told reporters.
"(Losses to) Collingwood on Queen's Birthday, Sydney at the G, these sort of games come and it's about how we faced that and we needed to find that ruthlessness.
"I think the Freo game (in round 20) was personally the game that was the turning point.
"We went over in hostile territory against a side that touched us up at the 'G not long before that game and we won by (46) points, played some really good forward-half footy.
"... We were lucky to get over the line against Carlton and then the Brisbane game really capped it off, but that's that ruthless sort of edge."
Gawn relished returning to the MCG after spending much of last season interstate, including ending Melbourne's premiership drought in Perth.
"It definitely is different. The one thing that I said to myself probably a week after the grand final last year is I really want to have a finals campaign in front of my friends and family," he said.
"Because at some point in your career, and it happened to me about three or four years ago, you realise why you play and why I play is the joy I bring to my family and friends.
"... That doesn't necessarily mean I have to go the whole way with my friends and family but just to have them in and around this Sydney game, it's gonna be exciting."
Meanwhile Tom McDonald, who hasn't played since round 10, will return from a foot injury via a VFL qualifying final this weekend.
Gawn said the athletic forward was looking "fresh" and ready to go.
The Melbourne captain recently had a coffee with Collingwood's Brodie Grundy, amid links to the gun ruckman as Luke Jackson contemplates a return to Western Australia.
But Gawn wouldn't entertain questions about a move for Grundy, stressing he believed he and Jackson could again achieve something special this year.
