MELBOURNE coach Simon Goodwin provides an update on all 44 players in the lead-up to the 2018 season. Be sure to check back each day for much of January, as we present this year’s squad …

Nathan Jones
Nathan put together some strong training pre-Christmas. As a skipper, he continues to lead the club incredibly well and build strong relationships throughout the playing group. Nathan enters the 2018 season with 239 games to his name – meaning only eight players in our club’s history have played more VFL/AFL games.

Declan Keilty (rookie)
A key defender, Declan worked really hard in his first season at the club. He got really close to playing his first AFL game, when he was named an emergency in the final round of the home and away season. He continues to impress at training and with his improved competitiveness and aggression towards the contest, he’s someone the supporters should be quite excited about.

Jay Kennedy Harris
Jay has been working with our forward line group, as a small pressure forward. He has had an uninterrupted pre-season, which has been encouraging, and he is training with a real desire to break into the AFL team in 2018, after playing six games in 2017. This will be Jay’s fifth AFL season, after he was drafted in 2013. (Note: Kennedy Harris doesn’t have a hyphen in between his surname).

Dean Kent
After an injury-interrupted 2017 season, Dean has been recovering well from a shoulder reconstruction after he injured it against the Adelaide Crows at TIO Stadium in round 17 last year. He continues to work hard in rehab and remains on track to join the main group in January. Dean is entering his sixth AFL season with the club.