While Adelaide United now have to face a revitalised Queensland Roar in Saturday night's preliminary final in Adelaide, Merrick can sit back knowing he not only has two weeks to prepare his side for the Championship decider but he has a full list to choose from.

Merrick said: "We've got 22 players out there that have got no injuries, are at the peak of fitness and mentally are up for the grand final now."

Such is Melbourne's depth that experienced defender Michael Thwaite, who has played six times for the Socceroos, could not even make Melbourne's 16-man squad in the semi-final while Scottish veteran Grant Brebner and Costa Rican international Jose Luiz Lopez were on the bench.

Merrick is also in the luxurious position of knowing half his preferred starting line-up of keeper Michael Theoklitos, defenders Kevin Muscat and Roddy Vargas and strikers Archie Thompson and Daniel Allsopp have been through the pressure of a grand final build-up before, having all played in Melbourne's 6-0 rout of Adelaide in the 2006/07 premiership decider.

The coach said: "You can't buy that kind of experience."

Melbourne skipper Muscat said the Victory squad realises the job is only half done and says there is no chance of complacency creeping into the camp despite the 6-0 demolition of Adelaide over two legs in the major semi-final.

He said: "You always go in thinking if we take our foot off the accelerator here we could come undone.

"There was no indication of that at all (leading into the major semi-final) and it will be exactly the same from here on in.

"The job is only half done, we have got ourselves to the grand final and now we have got to win it and win it here in front of our own fans in Melbourne."

Melbourne head into the Championship decider on February 28 in awesome form having not only won seven of their past eight matches but also their past seven at home.

It is a far cry from the difficult period the team went through in late November/early December when it lost three successive away games against teams that did not even make the finals in Wellington, Perth and Newcastle.

But it was the match after that - against Sydney at Telstra Dome on December 27 - that proved the turning point of the season, according to Muscat.

"The one point of reference we go back to is we lost three games on the bounce and we got together collectively and said something has got to change here," he said.

"And the change came when we were 2-0 down after three minutes at home to Sydney and to come back from that (to win 3-2) once again, the belief crept back in and the confidence crept back in."