Melbourne could welcome back several senior faces ahead of Sunday’s Round 15 clash with Adelaide at the MCG.
Experienced defenders Heritier Lumumba and Lynden Dunn headline a list of players who could put their hands up for the upcoming clash with the Crows.
Lumumba has had a long layoff due to concussion while Dunn suffered a hamstring injury at VFL level three weeks ago. The pair’s last AFL appearance was in the Demons’ Round Six loss to St Kilda.
Key-position player Cam Pedersen, who has played seven games this season, has also overcome a shoulder complaint and is expected to be available.
Speaking prior to the Demons’ bye last weekend, Melbourne high performance manager David Mission said the squad was in “pretty good shape” to attack the second half of the season.
“We didn’t get any new injuries out of the [Round 13] AFL or VFL games,” Mission said on Melbourne’s website.
“After the bye, we are going to get a few players back – [Sam] Weideman, [Heritier] Lumumba, [Lynden] Dunn and [Cam] Pedersen.”
Like the senior side, Melbourne’s VFL affiliate Casey Scorpions also had a bye last round.
The Demons will wait before declaring the fitness of young guns Christian Salem (illness) and Jay Kennedy-Harris (hamstring).
Mission doesn’t expect either player to confront the Crows this weekend.
“Christian Salem got some good medical results in the last couple of days, so we’re hoping that he’ll be three or four weeks after the bye…also Jay Kennedy-Harris with that hamstring,” he said.
