RUCKMAN Jake Spencer says he can’t wait to back up arguably his finest AFL performance by playing in the warmer Alice Springs conditions, when Melbourne hosts Port Adelaide at Traeger Park on Saturday night.

Spencer, who hails from Townsville in North Queensland, said he relished the warm weather.

“I love the heat and I hate the cold [in Victoria], so it’s good to be out of Melbourne for the night,” he told Dee TV with a smile.

“Last year, we were really competitive against them [in Alice Springs] and maybe a little bit unlucky not to win one of the two games, so the boys are really looking forward to heading up to Alice and really trying to back up what we did last weekend.

“Hopefully we’ll get another win.”

Spencer, whose 32^nd AFL match was pivotal in Melbourne’s 39-point win over the Western Bulldogs at the MCG last round, said he simply “just tried to play my role”.

“I knew that I had a stronger body than Ayce [Cordy], so I just really tried hard to get front spot and give the mids first use. If that helped us get over the line, so then be it,” he said.

“But as Roosy has touched on, everyone played their role and there were no passengers, so from that point, it was good.

“It was good that the club responded at both levels – AFL and VFL – after it was a tough week against [Hawthorn]. We had a big focus on responding [against the Western Bulldogs] and thankfully we did as a group.”

Spencer, who has played the past three matches, said it was the most in form he had entered the Melbourne team from the VFL.

“[It] probably [was], but to be fair, I probably only played two quality AFL ruckmen in that five or six span, where I was playing relatively well,” he said.

“It was definitely the most confident I have coming into the side.

“I don’t think I’ve come in too many times just on form, so it was nice.”

Pressed if he agreed with coach Paul Roos that it was his best game for the club, Spencer said it “probably” was.  

“Given that we won, I’d probably have to agree with him there,” he said.