Jack Viney is already one of the AFL's most inspirational skippers

WE ALREADY knew that Viney was tough, but his effort to overcome a painful shoulder injury and drag Melbourne over the line in hostile territory against West Coast on Saturday night was superhuman.

Without co-captain Nathan Jones, stars Jack Watts and Jesse Hogan, the 23-year-old took it upon himself to set the tone in Perth, racking up 14 touches – 12 contested – and booting a goal in the first quarter alone.

Viney was in everything, feeding off Max Gawn's return from hamstring surgery, and driving the Dees to a five-point lead by half-time. But when he was crunched by Shannon Hurn in the third term, it looked like it was night over.

Instead Viney sucked it up, came back onto the field briefly to test his shoulder out, then went to the rooms for treatment and was clearly struggling afterwards.

But he stepped up again in the thrilling final term, winning 13 touches – nine contested – and four clearances as the Dees ended a 15-year hoodoo at Domain Stadium against the Eagles.

It was a groundbreaking win and another step on Melbourne's march back to September.