COACH Simon Goodwin says talk of Melbourne needing to claim a big scalp is “the reality and the narrative”.

Speaking at AAMI Park on Wednesday, Goodwin said he understood why there was talk among the footy public that Melbourne needed to make a stand against a top eight team.

“We understand that and that’s our challenge,” he said in the lead-up to this Saturday night’s clash against Geelong at the Cattery.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position where we get great exposure in games like this.

“Now our challenge is to start performing on the [big] stage, so we’re looking forward to it and we understand the challenge ahead. We understand the footy club that we’re coming up against, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Goodwin said he relished the opportunity to take on top eight teams in the pointy end of the season.

“We can’t wait. We’ve worked our way as a club into a position where we’re playing some really important games and we’re getting exposed to these types of games, so I think that’s terrific,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to going down there and starting to perform.

“We’ve had some great learnings throughout the year, but now it’s really trying to improve our game and take it to a new level.”

Looking ahead to selection, Goodwin said Melbourne could add another midfielder to its team for round 17, while defender Joel Smith (hip) was set to return to the selection mix.