An out-of-form Melbourne were banished from Friday night football in recent seasons, but as they approach this week's clash with Richmond - their first in the premium timeslot in three yearscoach Paul Roos is confident they're ready for the challenge.

"Hopefully it gives you a bit of relevance. Everyone is fighting for space and relevance and Friday night is obviously a big stage," Roos said on Monday.

"We feel like we're playing some good footy this year, and Richmond are as well, so our responsibility is to turn up Friday night and put a good brand of footy out there."

The Demons have not played on Friday night since they were thumped by 11 goals by Hawthorn in May 2012. Their last victory in that timeslot came in the preceding season, when they beat Essendon by 33 points.

Roos said the form of his team had, barring their second-half thumping by GWS in round two, been encouraging.

"I feel, as a general rule, we're seeing the bottom teams - I'm referring to last year's ladder - playing a lot better footy. We've seen that with St Kilda, and the Bulldogs started with two wins," he said.

"I think the gap's certainly closing and we feel like our best is really good. Our challenge every week is [eradicating] those lapses. We had a few lapses on the weekend [way to Adelaide]; for 10 minutes they really got us, kicked four goals.

"We feel like our best footy is quite good. We've just got to narrow the [bad] patches of play."

The Demons' year compounded Richmond's poor start to 2014 with an unexpected victory in round nine.

They will make at least one change against the Tigers for the match at the MCG, with forward-ruckman Sam Frost ruled out for a least a month with a crack in a toe. Roos confirmed Cam Pedersen, Jack Fitzpatrick and Max Gawn were all in contention to play their first senior match of the season, primarily as a forward but also as a relief ruckman for Mark Jamar.

Jack Grimes claimed 20 possessions as the VFL season began last weekend, although he was not rated among Casey's best players in their thumping of Frankston.

Since Grimes was drafted at the end of 2007 he was virtually been assured of selection when fit, and was made co-captain by then coach Mark Neeld at the start of 2012. The 25-year-old resigned the co-captaincy earlier this year and was not chosen in any of the Demons' first three matches.

Roos commended the positive response of Grimes to his exclusion as representative of the Demons players increasingly prioritising the team's fortunes ahead of their own since he took over as coach at the end of 2013.

"I think [previously] a lot of it was about individual success, [as in] 'If I'm not going well how do I get better as an individual, and it doesn't really matter how the team is going'," he said.

"There's a lot of guys in the seconds who are in good form and I sense that they want to play well for the team. They're not going out on the weekend hoping the seniors lose 'so I can get back in there'. They're sort of thinking, 'I know what I need to do and improve, and I hope the seniors win and I get in in really good form'.

"It's a significant shift, certainly in my short time at the footy club. Jack has really led that. He's really supportive of the coaching group, the players who are going out on the field. He knows he's got to work on some things and he's working hard but he's really putting the club first, which I really like."

Roos said Grimes was among the established players who are being given different roles at VFL level to aid their bid to return to the seniors. Defensive flanker Grimes is being used more in the midfield, while tagger Jordie McKenzie and forward flanker Rohan Bail are being deployed at half-back for Casey.

"Part of your obligation when you're working with players who aren't in the team is you've got to work on their strengths but also give them another chance to get [in the seniors, in a different role]," Roos explained.