Michael Hibberd is determined to prove himself at Melbourne

A YEAR out of the game left Michael Hibberd feeling frustrated, but that turned to fear when the former Bomber joined his new Melbourne teammates on a three-day camp.

Michael Hibberd towels down at Melbourne training. Picture: Getty Images

MICHAEL Hibberd’s frustration became fear last weekend.

After being suspended for a year because of Essendon’s supplements scandal, the defender joined Melbourne’s new players on a shark diving tour off Port Lincoln as part of a three-day camp.

Hibberd said it was an enjoyable, albeit scary, experience meeting a great white shark.

“We were the first group out there (in the shark cage), and we had the big girl swimming around,” he said.

“It gave us a bit of a fright at the start. It was a lot fun but 45 minutes in the cage was more than enough.”

Hibberd’s return, along with that of former Bombers teammate, midfielder Jake Melksham, and the recruitment of four-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis has raised hopes of the Demons breaking their 10-year finals drought.

Melbourne toppled Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn last season and coach Simon Goodwin said the club wanted to continue its rise.

Jack Watts collides with Jayden Hunt. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“We want our supporters to be excited. You are now generating higher expectations around our performances and I think that is a good position for the club to be in,” Goodwin said at the club’s annual general meeting.

“In terms of the first five weeks of training, the players came back from leave with the right attitude and they have shown a willingness to learn and work hard to get better as a team.”

Hibberd, 26, said he was determined to make every game count for Melbourne.

“To begin with there was a lot of shock and sadness to miss a year of football,” he said.

“The hunger I got from missing a year grew the longer I went without playing and without being around my teammates and competing and playing. That’s something I learnt — that football means a lot more to me than I thought it did.

“You take this for granted sometimes and it’s certainly something I won’t do for the rest of my career.”

Jordan Lewis is tackled by Dom Tyson. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Lewis, 30, joined the new players on the cage dive and said he had been reinvigorated by the switch of club.

He said he was drawn to Melbourne because of his friendship with list manager Todd Viney and the talent on the club’s list.

“When ‘Clarko’ (coach Alastair Clarkson) came over to my house and gave me the option to go and search for somewhere else for a career post-Hawthorn, he (Viney) was the only person who came to mind,” Lewis said.

“As I said in my interview, I wanted to go to a club that I think can be successful in the time I’m going to be here and Melbourne was the one which stood out for me.”