The threat of resurgent AFL heavyweights Hawthorn has pushed Melbourne into a secret training session before their clash on Sunday.
Simon Goodwin took his side away from their regular training venue at Gosch's Paddock to an undisclosed location for their main session for the week.
He declined to share the club's second base, or what was worked on, as the coach plots a way to defeat the Hawks at the MCG.
"(It gives us an) ability to work on some things in our game away from the prying eyes," Goodwin said on Thursday.
"We're in a pretty public space on Punt Road.
"It (also) gives us a chance to get some variety into our training. Moving away and training at a different venue is a new stimulus for the players."
Defeating Hawthorn, which like Melbourne sit at 2-1 in the win-loss column, starts with Tom Mitchell.
The indefatigable midfielder will gun for a fourth-straight 40 plus possession game to start the season and Goodwin acknowledged he was a force to be reckoned with.
Bernie Vince looms as the most likely run-with player.
"Their midfield looks really strong and Tom Mitchell is someone that is in tremendous form," Goodwin said.
"He's been a big part of our week and looking at him and looking at how they play. We're definitely putting some time into him.
"(Vince is) someone we trust highly ... because of his ability to do the job.
"He's certainly someone that we will look at."
With the exception of their last-minute loss against Geelong, Melbourne's season has started exceptionally with wins over Brisbane and long-term hoodoo club North Melbourne.
There's a logjam at selection, with Sam Weideman, Harley Balic, Angus Brayshaw and Cameron Pedersen all strong performers in a huge VFL win last weekend.
A win over the Hawks would cement the good feeling growing at the club, but Goodwin said he was not content with performances just yet.
"Clearly we've been quite dominant around the footy in terms of our midfield," he said.
"We want to tidy up our efficiency inside 50 and we still think we've got some work to do defensively.
"We're not sitting here saying we haven't got any improvement. We've got a lot."
