Jayden Hunt says the pain of missing out on finals will spur Melbourne next season

JAYDEN Hunt described it as “the most frustrating half-hour of live sport I have watched” but says the agony of this year’s finals near-miss will drive Melbourne’s finals aspirations.

Jayden Hunt says he felt “hopeless” as he watched Melbourne’s finals hope evaporate. Picture: Michael Klein

JAYDEN Hunt says the agony of this year’s finals near-miss will drive Melbourne’s finals aspirations as he eyes some midfield cameos next year.

The line-breaking defender is one of Demons’ emerging stars in a backline that will next year also feature Jake Lever, Jordan Lewis, Michael Hibberd and Neville Jetta.

He says a new level of intensity is apparent on the track, with Max Gawn in awesome shape and Lever’s voice and direction shining through.

AXED TIGER: BEN LENNON TO PURSUE NFL CAREER

NEW CAT: YOUNG CHOOK SETTLES IN AT CATTERY

VETERAN: WAITE REVEALS DIFFICULT DECISON TO PLAY ON

Hunt this year signed a deal through to 2020 and is determined to add new strings to his bow as a small forward and wingman.

But team goals matter more after Melbourne lost to Collingwood in Round 23 and West Coast pinched the Demons’ finals spot by 0.19 of a percentage point.

“I guess the hurt we felt this year of missing out made finals even more of a goal,” Hunt told the Herald Sun.

Jayden Hunt trains at Gosch’s Paddock last month. Picture: Getty Images

“It would be great. We will definitely be striving for finals and if we put everything into place we believe we should be there and deserve to be there.

“I was just at a friend’s house watching it. It was definitely frustrating, probably the most frustrating half-hour of live sport I have watched. It was just that hopeless feeling.

“Hopefully it will never happen again but having said that, the cards were in our hands, anything can happen if you let your fate be decided by other sources.”

Melbourne spent the first few days of its pre-season ­reflecting on team standards and “individual behaviours” for 2018.

The Dees are adamant they must play and train on edge at every opportunity.

If this year was a missed opportunity, there was a huge upside for many Demon players.

Hunt is 22, but despite the fanfare about his run-and-carry style he believes he is far from the finished product.

“I was pretty happy with the start of my season but as the season went on my form dropped a little bit, so it’s staying in the game and being constant through the whole 120 minutes,” he said.

“I am training with the backs, but hopefully in my development I can be a multi-positional player who can swing froward or go up to the wing.”

Tom McDonald will play forward this year but is some way off full training after ankle surgeries, while Sam Weideman is also a slow starter after ankle surgery.

Co-captain Jack Viney has foot problems and won’t join in full training until January.