Wheatley (quad) and Whelan (hamstring) are battling injury, but Bailey said the club is doing its utmost to have them run out in red and blue colours for one last time.
"We'll be doing everything we can to get them on the ground, but we won't be silly about it though. They're two great blokes," he said from Junction Oval on Wednesday.
Wheatley is expected to be available, with Whelan a greater concern after he suffered his injury against Carlton last round.
But Bailey said the hard-at-it defender from Darwin is more advanced in his recovery than what the club expected.
"After the game [last round], there was certainly a degree of concern about his hamstring, but all of the tests that he's been doing – the strength tests that we put him through post game and 24 hours afterwards – he's actually a little bit stronger," he said.
"This is a good sign for Matty and a reassuring sign for us. We'll give Matty right up until the last minute of the game.
"If it gets to a stage where it really is no good, it would be irresponsible for us to play him.
"That's why we're a little bit happier. All of the signs at the moment are a bit more positive than negative at the moment.
"We've got to make sure that we don't just pick him and put him on the bench and then not play him – you've got to be able to contribute to some degree."
If Whelan plays, it will be his 150th game for Melbourne and he will become the first indigenous Demon to achieve this feat.
Wheatley, who warmed-up for Casey reserves last round, but did not play for risk of further injury, should now play his third match in an injury-riddled season.
"We ramped his training up last week to compensate for the game being missed," Bailey said of the long-kicking half-back/wingman.
Bailey spoke highly of the departing trio saying they "blended in beautifully with each other".
"Robbo is flamboyant and exciting," he said.
"Paul Wheatley has a really good football brain and he's got a really good understanding of the game and I think he's going to be a good coach. He's got a really nice teaching aspect to him.
"Wheels is pretty quiet. He's an action man, Wheels. [He says:] 'All of the talk is great, but can we just go and do it'."
