AFTER three injury-riddled years, Melbourne midfielder Brent Moloney will finish in the top three of the club's best-and-fairest, according to his coach Dean Bailey.

Moloney has missed just one match this season - in round 18 with a groin injury - which is a fine return considering he played just 25 from 2006-08 due to an ongoing battle with injury. Bailey acknowledged Moloney's return was one of the underrated stories of the season at Melbourne.

"He had three years of injuries really, with his OP (osteitis pubis). He hasn't missed a beat this year Beamer," he said.

"I reckon he will probably finish in our top three in the best and fairest and he has been consistent too. He doesn't miss much training, considering the last three years he's had.

"It is a really good story. Sometimes they're the stories that get missed, [because] you can concentrate so much on a young group and having young players to develop, but he's been really good."

Bailey also praised the return of defender Jared Rivers, who played just nine matches in 2007-08 after he too battled continual injury problems.

Rivers has missed just two matches in 2009 - one with an ankle problem (round eight) and another with a groin issue (round 19).

"Jared Rivers has missed the last couple of years through OP (osteitis pubis) and both of them have worked really hard in the gym to really get their core strength to a level where both have played consistent footy and played at a really good level for us as well," Bailey said.

"We hope we've patched them up for this year and we hope that it's the start of them almost having [an injury free run].

"Some people say: 'They've had two years off, so they're bodies have been refreshed'. But they're almost starting a career, to some degree, again."