MELBOURNE’S injury list is set to decrease after the bye, with several players edging closer to a return.
Elite performance manger Dave Misson said the squad was in “pretty good shape” going into the mid-season break.
“We didn’t get any new injuries out of the AFL or VFL games,” he told Melbourne TV.
“After the bye, we’re going to get a few players back – [Sam] Weideman, [Heritier] Lumumba, [Lynden] Dunn and [Cam] Pedersen.
“The only guys remaining in rehab is Mitch King with his knee, who is a long-term rehab prospect.
“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, as will Joel Smith with that groin and also Jay Kennedy-Harris with that hamstring.
“Overall, we’re in pretty good shape going into the bye and we’re hoping for a big nine weeks afterwards.”
Melbourne injury list: round 14 (bye)
Lynden Dunn (hamstring) – 1 week
Jay Kennedy-Harris (hamstring) – 3-4 weeks
Mitch King (knee) – season
Heritier Lumumba (concussion) – 1 week
Cam Pedersen (shoulder) – 1 week
Christian Salem (illness) – 3-4 weeks
Joel Smith (groin) – 3-4 weeks
Sam Weideman (hip flexor) – 1 week
