JESSE Hogan won't overhaul his goalkicking routine to keep critics off his back this season.

Instead, the Melbourne spearhead will use the power of positive thinking to ensure one bad shot at goal doesn't become another and spiral out of control.

"I go into games and obviously all the coaching staff know my style and they're aware of what I'm doing," Hogan told News Corp.

"If it was a big issue, then it would be changed.

"At training I'm generally pretty happy and most games I'm generally pretty good.

"It's more just when I do miss one and then it gets to me and it can snowball."

Hogan copped a spray last March from Demons great David Schwarz, who called his goalkicking a "disgrace" after an off day against St Kilda.

But the 21-year-old star brushed-off Schwarz's criticism like a veteran campaigner, and booted a respectable 41.33 in just his second full season in the big time.

Although Hogan's accuracy dipped down to 55 per cent from scoring shots – compared to 70 (44.19) when he won the NAB AFL Rising Star award in 2015 – the powerful West Australian isn't worried.

"I'll work on (my goalkicking) this year and hopefully get my percentage up and go from there and it can be a thing of the past and not be looked into too much," he said.

"You don't want to be that player that gets looked at every year for it. But sometimes that's just how it is."

Hogan was a notable absentee from Demons training last week, with the club giving him some extended time back in Perth with family.

The prized key forward last year re-signed with Melbourne until the end of 2019.


Jesse Hogan in action during training last year (Photo: Matt Goodrope)