NO TIME frames have been placed on goalkicker Jesse Hogan, as he starts his recovery and rehab towards playing again in 2017.
Elite performance manager Dave Misson said the club was optimistic Hogan, who injured his collarbone in Melbourne’s loss to North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena in Hobart last Saturday, would play again this season.
“Jesse had surgery on Sunday afternoon and the surgery went well. He had a plate inserted onto that collarbone,” he told Melbourne TV.
“He’s recovering OK and we’ll just have a look at him and see how he is by the end of the week.
“We’re hoping, as [coach] Simon Goodwin said, that he’s going to come back and play again this year, but we’re not putting any time frames on it. We just want to assess Jesse and see how he’s going and take it from there.”
But co-captain Nathan Jones is set to return for this Saturday’s clash against GWS Giants at UNSW Canberra Oval, after missing the past six matches with a quadriceps injury.
“[He’ll be] back this week. He trained really well today (Tuesday) and he ticked off everything he needs to from a kicking point of view,” Misson said.
“He goes in really fit and really confident.”
High-flyer Joel Smith did not play for Casey Demons in their win over Coburg at Casey Fields, due to a hip complaint, but is a chance to return this round.
“He had an incident with his hip at training last week,” he said.
“He was pretty close to playing, but he did some decent training today and we’re hoping we can tick him off on Thursday and he’ll play again for Casey on the weekend.”
Forward Dean Kent (shoulder) and backman Mitch White (hamstring) are now four weeks away.
“Those guys are going OK. The aim with … Dean’s shoulder and Mitch with his hamstring is to get them back to be available again to play this year,” Misson said.
“We’re probably pushing the envelope a little bit with each of them to do that, but we’re going to keep trying and keep working away with them.
“We’ll just see how they’re going by the end of next week.”
Hard-nut Aaron vandenBerg (heel), long-serving Dee Colin Garland (knee), rookie Tim Smith (navicular bone), first-year Demon Pat McKenna (hamstring) and developing ruckman Lochie Filipovic (hip flexor) are out for the rest of the season.
“They’re all in different stages. Aaron’s actually gone to China today. He’s going to have a couple of weeks there and Lochie Filipovic is starting to hit the gym,” he said.
“Garlo is doing some skill work and Tim Smith’s still on the crutches and in the boot, but starting to ween out of that.
“Patty McKenna is actually going really well – doing some good strength work and running … so they’re all tracking well.”
Melbourne injury list: round 20
Lochie Filipovic (hip flexor) – season
Colin Garland (knee) – season
Jesse Hogan (collarbone) – TBC
Nathan Jones (quadriceps) – available
Dean Kent (shoulder) – 4 weeks
Pat McKenna (hamstring) – hamstring
Joel Smith (hip) – test
Tim Smith (navicular bone) – season
Aaron vandenBerg (heel) – season
Mitch White (hamstring) – 4 weeks
