ADAPTABILITY was the word of 2020.

But five months later, it’s looking like a pretty important word in 2021 as well.

The Demons were dealt with their first major disruption of the season last week, thrown into isolation the day before their Round 11 clash with the Western Bulldogs.

And while it was far from ideal, Bayley Fritsch said it didn’t worry the ladder leaders.

“We’re ready for anything,” he told ABC Grandstand post-game.

“I think we said that at the start of the year, that a lot of this is unknown.

“We couldn’t do our captain’s run (training) the day before the game, but we sort of just reset and focused on the game.”

That worked out nicely for the Dees, who claimed a 28-point win in an empty Marvel Stadium.

Now, the competition faces a potential relocation for Round 12 at a minimum.

“Hopefully we can be back in Melbourne and playing in front of our fans, but if not, we’re ready for anything,” Fritsch said.

Those words don’t only reflect the Demons’ attitude off the field, but their performance on the field as well.

05:35

RD 11 | All The Goals

Watch all the goals from our top of the table win against the Western Bulldogs.

In years gone by, the club’s inability to perform consistently across four quarters was costly, with 10-minute lapses often proving the difference between a win or a loss.

But with maturity, that has changed in the first 11 games of the season.

“I think it’s come down to the 23/24-year-old’s,” Fritsch said.

“The Christian Petraccas, Clayton Olivers, they’ve really taken a step forward in their leadership – especially on-ground.

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“We’re recognising things on-ground and making calls on-ground before it gets to quarter-time or half-time, and another team might have kicked four or five goals against.

“I think the leadership has been a massive part of that and I think we’ve taken a massive step forward in that area.”