TOUGH-NUT Melbourne midfielder Brent Moloney believes the club's pre-Christmas hike in Victoria's high country was the toughest task he's ever undertaken.

Moloney, who finished runner-up to Aaron Davey in this year's best and fairest count, led one of six groups up Mount Buller with a 15kg pack on his back.

He said that even though the club's four-day camp in Mansfield had been gruelling and tiring, it was a rewarding experience for his teammates.

"To be honest, it's probably the hardest thing I've done," he told melbournefc.com.au.

"It was a lot harder than last year. I only did half of last year [due to injury]."

Moloney was impressed with how his group pulled together throughout the hike and highlighted the determination of a new Demon.

"Whoever was at the front would bring up a subject and then we'd talk about it on the walk," he said.

"They were things like who your favourite player was as a kid and who you barracked for.

"It was quite interesting. I had Jordie Gysberts in my group and at the end he was pretty tired, but he kept going and ended up leading us to the end, so it was a super effort.

"For some of those kids that don't have a [fitness] base, to get through that was a great achievement."

Moloney said the camp would provide the launching pad the Demons needed for 2010.

"It will put us in good stead for next year," he said.

"The boys have been positive throughout the whole trip - no one has whinged - and we've all just stuck together and worked hard.

"Just getting to know the younger guys outside of footy has been good."