NATHAN Jones says playing on the road is one of the best remedies for bouncing back from disappointing losses.

Speaking to Melbourne TV, Jones said Melbourne was excited to be in Alice Springs for its clash against the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday and said it was the perfect opportunity to hit back before the mid-season break.  

“It’s always good, off the back of a performance that doesn’t sit so well for the group, to get away, travel and galvanise again, and have another crack at it, which is a positive thing,” he said.

“The fact that we play within six days is a really good thing for our group – not dwell on it too much – but rebound off the back of that. We’re preparing for the Suns’ best – they’re coming off a disappointing loss in China and they’ll be refreshed after having the bye, so it should be a pretty good game.

“I’m looking forward to it and looking forward to the opportunity to rebound.”

With Melbourne aiming to have a 5-5 win/loss record after round 10, Jones said “at times our performances have been frustrating, but we’ve played some of our best footy.”

“I think we’ve shown some improvement in key areas we’ve focused on. There is a huge amount of expectation on the group, but you’ve got to keep that in perspective though,” he said.

“This has been a development phase over the last two or three years, and we’re seeing progression and improvement, but there’s also going to be some inconsistencies with our team.

“It’s important not to relate Melbourne’s performances of the last six to 10 years to the last two years, in particular this season. So, it’s important to keep that in perspective, but at the same time I think we’ve got the potential to continue to climb and take big steps forward quickly.”

Jones has again produced another strong season, and said he couldn't remember enjoying his football more. 

“I’ve probably played a couple of different roles, trying to add some diversity to my own game. I’ve really enjoyed playing a role in developing some of our key younger mids. I’ve really enjoyed that challenge,” he said.

“I think it’s really promising the development of our younger players. I love the impact that some of our senior players are having too, like Hibbo (Michael Hibberd) and Lewie (Jordan Lewis) namely – they’ve come in and helped steady the ship as well.

“I'm really enjoying my footy at the moment – [I’ve] never enjoyed my footy as much as I am right now. I’m really confident in the direction the club is heading in. The style of footy we’re being coached in, the amount of effort that our development coaches and coaching team are putting in ... I’ve no doubt we’ll be in a terrific position going forward.”