Melbourne coach Dean Bailey believes his AFL side has improved, but warns the theme he continues to push will soon become boring.

Melbourne bad boy Colin Sylvia and injury-prone defender Jared Rivers are in line to play in the club's season-opener against North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday, Demons coach Dean Bailey said on Monday.

While John Worsfold may be talking up his contract negotiations we thought we would make an early predcition regarding the coaching stakes and predict that Chris Connolly would have a coaching job for 2010.

MELBOURNE is likely to stick with its four debutants from round one for Saturday's clash against arch-rival Collingwood at the MCG, according to coach Dean Bailey.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey is a firm believer that players learn best on the job, so the lesson his team faces this week against Collingwood will be the importance of maintaining intensity.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said he won't be rushing injured players back into the line-up, despite the Demons' 0-3 start to the season.

A feisty Dean Bailey wants his Demons to seize the initiative on Sunday against a Richmond line-up that's been needled relentlessly in the media over the past three weeks.

TWO teams are winless. One team is the clear favourite to win the wooden spoon, that team is also the three-to-one outsider to win the game. But it is the other team's coach whose job is in peril.

COACHES at AFL level have an extremely high profile. We all (fans, club boards, media) fall in and out of love too quickly with them.

MELBOURNE president Jim Stynes has backed coach Dean Bailey's brand of football after last week's Adelaide clash was labelled ugly.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey has pledged to weed out any players who are not performing up to standard or who may need a rest for Sunday's clash with West Coast at Subiaco.

F there's one thing we love, it's winning a prize. And Dean Bailey is giving them away at press conferences.

MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey says he used football's equivalent of insider trading to plan for the Western Bulldogs at the MCG today.

MELBOURNE

Dean Bailey

Out of contract 2010

One more year on his contract will not guarantee him much if the Demons don’t finish the year well. Any replicas of the Queen’s Birthday massacre will put him under serious heat.

THE coaching clock is ticking for Melbourne coach Dean Bailey and, midway through his contract, the scribes are getting restless after two non-competitive efforts.

A FORTNIGHT ago questions were beginning to be asked about Dean Bailey's future at the Melbourne Football Club given the manner of the club's recent losses.

MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey remains defiant in the face of intense scrutiny of his tactics against Richmond on the weekend.

DB: From our point-of-view, it's really been another year of rebuilding. It's been another strong year of developing players and certainly exposing players. This year, we elevated and played some of our rookies –Jordie McKenzie, Jake Spencer and Shane Valenti, even though he played a few games last year.

MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey says the club is set up to prosper when two new clubs enter the AFL.

MELBOURNE has extended coach Dean Bailey's contract until the end of the 2011 season in an agreement expected to be announced today.

IN A clear sign that the club is expecting better times ahead, Melbourne has re-signed its coach Dean Bailey to a new two-year contract.

THE Melbourne board forced Dean Bailey to earn his one-year contract extension, putting him through a searching review in September.

Coach Dean Bailey has set his sights on an improved showing from his club in 2010 after agreeing terms with Melbourne on a one-year contract extension.