Melbourne coach Steven King has issued a blunt challenge to his players: maintain the rage.
The Demons, in King's first season at the helm, have defied gloomy pre-season predictions to bank three wins, including toppling previously unbeaten Gold Coast last weekend.
But King says that feat will count for little if his players can't back up when they meet struggling Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
"It's great to build belief off the back of some really hard work that we've done," King told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday.
"We have started to see what is capable if we play four quarters of footy.
"But now we come interstate, we have got to make sure we there's still improvement left in us.
"So we've just got to maintain the rage, so to speak, and keep improving."
The seventh-placed Demons' early surge has come with an eye-catching aggressive style of play, with King rapt at how readily his players have adapted to his demands.
"I have admired our playing group for what they've been open to - trying new things - and guys have just taken opportunities, which is great," he said.
"When you take over a new team, you're looking to implement change, you're never sure how long it's going to take to click - and albeit it's only a small sample size and it's a long year to go.
"But just the buy-in from everyone at the club, I'm privileged to coach a great group of young men that want the best out of themselves and each other and that makes my job a lot easier."
King was imploring his players to remain level-headed, regardless of results.
"I want our environment to be really consistent," he said.
"So if we have a bad loss, we rock in to work to get better. And if we have a good win, it's the same, we certainly don't walk around patting each other on the back.
"Momentum is hard to get. You've got to make sure you hold on to it for as long as you can and that's what we're trying to do this week."
Forward Bayley Fritsch will return from a foot injury on Saturday when teammate Jake Melksham will play his 250th AFL game - against his former club.
