JACK Viney will "definitely" play in round one and could return in Melbourne's final JLT Community Series game early next month, Demons coach Simon Goodwin says.
Co-captain Viney has endured an interrupted pre-season after developing a stress fracture in his right foot at the end of last season, following surgery to release the plantar fascia in the same foot last July.
But Goodwin told reporters on Wednesday morning he had no doubt Viney would be fit for Melbourne's round one clash with Geelong on March 25.
"He's on track for round one. We're really confident in Jack, he's nearly back with the main group. He's got another month to get himself ready," Goodwin said.
"He's worked incredibly hard. We all know what he can produce and we're confident that he's in a position where he'll be physically ready for round one.
"He's a chance [to return in the second round of the JLT series] but definitely round one."
Melbourne's final JLT game is against St Kilda at Casey Fields on March 8.
The Demons play their opening pre-season game against North Melbourne on Saturday at Kingston in Tasmania.
Goodwin said Melbourne would pick "a pretty strong team" for Saturday's game, but could not consider Viney, Dom Tyson, Jeff Garlett, Dean Kent and Aaron vandenBerg because of injury.
AFL.com.au reported on Tuesday that Tyson was unlikely to play against the Kangaroos after suffering a calf injury at training.
"He had a little bit of a niggle. He won't play this week, but he'll definitely be available for JLT (round) two," Goodwin said of Tyson.
Goodwin nominated mature-age recruit Bayley Fritsch and former Fremantle midfielder Harley Balic as new faces who were "really pressing for selection" against North Melbourne, but stopped short of guaranteeing either a game.
The Demons coach also said the club would continue to play spearhead Jesse Hogan through the midfield at times in 2018 after trialling him there last season.
"He's had a fantastic pre-season, Jess. (He's) progressing really well," Goodwin said.
"He'll play some time through the midfield and also forward. We're really confident that Jesse can play there and we're excited that he can actually do both."
