JACK Viney says he is taking a cautious approach early in the pre-season, due to the foot injury he suffered in his first AFL season.

Viney did not play from rounds eight to 15, due to the problem, but still managed to play the final seven matches of the season, finishing with 13 games in 2013. Still, he had to be careful with the work he undertook during the off-season, as he said. 

“With the injury I got last year, which kept me out for a while, that’s not necessarily 100 per cent just yet,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“My program’s slightly modified, but I’m training well and running well.

“Misso (Dave Misson) and Gary Nicholls, the physio, reckon I’ll be back in the main group in the next couple of weeks.”

Viney said the off-season was timely, although it wasn’t all rest and relaxation.

“I got a bit of time to really relax and let the hair down,” he said.

“I went over to Bail with Charlotte, my girlfriend, for a couple of weeks. I went to Echuca and caught up with a couple of friends up there, so it was good.

“I’ve still got a program to follow and I’m still keeping fit and I jumped on the Wattbike and came into the club. While it’s good to not have a strict routine and program, you’ve still got to keep fit and come back in reasonable shape.”

Still, Viney has set a key goal over the pre-season – to improve his aerobic capacity.  

“From doing the Wattbike, I feel like my aerobic capacity is in really good shape compared to where I was last year. Playing those 13 games during the season last year improved it a lot,” he said.

“That’s the aspect of my game, which is a bit lacking, so I really want to try and work on my aerobic capacity.”

Now in his second week of pre-season, Viney said there was a different feeling at the club with Paul Roos now at the helm.  

“[With] Roosy on board and all the new coaches, it’s pretty exciting around the club at the moment,” he said.

“He hasn’t really said a whole heap, because he’s waiting for the older boys to come back, before everything gets stuck in.”

“He said a few words of encouragement and that we do get a bit of a head start on all the boys. He said ‘let’s make the week and a half count’.

Viney said he was eager to pick the brain of highly-respected midfield and strategy coach George Stone over the pre-season, and he had already started building a rapport with midfield coach Ben Mathews.

“I had Benny over for dinner the other night. I caught up with him and had a good chat, so we’re well acquainted now and ready to get stuck into the nitty gritty of the midfield,” he said.

The acquisition of some young midfielders Dom Tyson from Greater Western Sydney and former Docker Viv Michie had excited Viney.

“I’m actually rapt to have Dom and Viv on board,” he said.

“I played with Dom Tyson at Oakleigh Chargers and also at Vic Metro, so me and Dom know each other quite well. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it with him.

“I’ve met Viv and he’s a great bloke and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can throw up on the track.”

Viney said he hadn’t focused on 2014 at this stage, instead taking a week by week approach.

“I’m trying to get myself fit and healthy,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to having a better year than last year and hopefully not get injured and not miss as many games.

“[I just] want a more consistent year and get a few more wins.”