MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Max Gawn and Tom McDonald wrestle during a Melbourne Demons AFL training session at Gosch's Paddock on August 18, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

The Demons are finally living up to the expectations that their fans and the rest of the footy world have put on them for the last few years.

Half way through the season, they sit third on the ladder with eight wins and a percentage of 140.2.

There are a variety of things that you could put their great run of form down to like Max Gawn’s ruck dominance, Jesse Hogan stepping into a new role or their new-found ball movement.

Another unlikely key to their turnaround could be their extra-curricular activity groups that were revealed by star forward Tom McDonald on Wednesday morning.

“We have a board game group,” McDonald told SEN Breakfast.

“Me, Max Gawn, Sam Frost, Pat McKenna and Jake Lever play board games.

“We always play Scattergories, Risk, which is like the world war game, we played Sequence yesterday and we were going to play Settlers of Catan but never got around to it. They’re the four at the moment.”

It’s not just board games that the Demon players have been getting around during their spare time together.

“I’m not in this squash group, but they go to Kooyong and play tennis there with Lewy (Jordan Lewis) and Gawny (Max Gawn,)” McDonald said.

“They go to play squash, Oscar (Oscar McDonald) is a snooker player.”

Despite their unorthodox off-field team bonding sessions, footy is still their focus and McDonald was on his way to training while he spoke on SEN.