AFTER years of losing games it should win, Cam Pedersen believes Melbourne has learnt to live with expectation.

With their season on the line last week against the lowly Brisbane Lions at the MCG, the Demons were expected to comfortably take another step towards qualifying for their first finals appearance since 2006.

After controlling the game for the first three quarters, a 32-point lead was quickly eroded by a young Lions team, and the mood of the red and blue faithful was 'no, not again.'

But a newfound belief saw Simon Goodwin's men steady for a 13-point win, and as a result, they're one victory away from cementing that elusive September berth.

While he expects on Saturday that Collingwood will be hell-bent on causing an upset to help coach Nathan Buckley retain his job, Pedersen says the Demons are embracing the task at hand.

"The Brisbane game was a hard slog, and previously we would have lost those games. But I think the group has matured, and we came away with a win," Pedersen told AFL.com.au.

"We don't read too much into the (Buckley) situation, we'll do our opposition stuff and plan for them.

"We want to be in really good form if we make the finals, and Collingwood have been in really good form.

"It's a pressure game, but (we're) really excited for the challenge."

Pedersen is well accustomed to dealing with pressure, his spot in Melbourne's side rarely permanent since he arrived from North Melbourne in 2013.

He's plied his trade down back, in the ruck and up forward, but the 30-year-old feels a role in attack suits him best after 75 games in seven seasons at the top level.

Pedersen recently inked a second-straight one-year contract, and feels the lack of job security has been a catalyst for his recent good form.

Since a two-week stint in the VFL in July, his past three games have returned five goals, nearly 20 disposals a game and the belief he still has plenty to offer.

"If you've only got a one-year deal, it could be your last game, so it gives you a bit more motivation to play well every week," Pedersen said.

"Hopefully now I'm starting to repay the faith, and I can continue my good form.

"On the weekend (against Brisbane), I had one of my best GPS running games, and I'm recovering well and getting up for games well.

"If my form continues, I'll keep playing and I'll hopefully have a couple more years of senior footy."