MELBOURNE forward Jesse Hogan's football return after testicular surgery is at least a fortnight away despite suggestions he was close to playing in the Queen's Birthday clash on Monday.

Doctors diagnosed Hogan with testicular cancer last month and he underwent a successful operation to remove a malignant tumor on May 16.

The 22-year-old spent part of his recovery back home in Perth, but has resumed training with the club.

The Demons play the Western Bulldogs next week before travelling west to face the Eagles.

Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson told radio station 3AW on Monday that Hogan was receiving the best care possible in the circumstances, but was not yet ready to play again.

"I think he's still a bit away. He's not going to turn up next week and play – he's a minimum of a couple of weeks away," Jackson said.

"He's just got to start training full bore and see how he goes, but I think he would love to get into some steady football over a year or two and show everyone what he can do."

Hogan has played only four games in an interrupted year, including missing a match after his father died and two weeks' suspension for striking Carlton defender Sam Rowe.

"He's had a very disjointed year. When you think about it, he's probably had a very disjointed start to his career," Jackson said.

"His first year, he played down in the VFL (when he was ineligible to play in the AFL because he was too young) and we had great hopes for him as a 17-year-old.

"Then he was out with his back for a whole year, so then he came in and won the Rising Star (in 2015) and showed what he could do, but he's never actually got a consistent run at it ever."

Jackson said another young Demon facing adversity, midfielder Angus Brayshaw, would also not be rushed back after last month sustaining a fourth concussion in a year in a VFL match.

"He was given an indefinite time to work his way through it and is getting the support of the doctors and specialists and they're the ones who will make that decision," he said.

"You can't rush that. He's a young man – 21 (years old) heading to 22 – and potentially has another 10 years ahead of him.

"What does a half a dozen or 10 games matter at this time of year? You've got to get him right and get his confidence up – that's the most important thing the footy club has to worry about."