MELBOURNE is hopeful mercurial forward Bayley Fritsch won’t miss any AFL football after a dog bite left him requiring surgery on the eve of the 2026 AFL Premiership Season.

Despite the bite leaving Fritsch with an infection to his hand, the Demon’s strong recovery leaves him well-placed for an attack on Round 1.

“Bayley tried to break up a fight between his two dogs and unfortunately got bitten in the process,” GM of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson said.

“His hand got infected, so he’s had surgery to wash out the infection.

“He’ll rejoin the group again on Thursday with an eye on working towards a Round 1 appearance.”

New recruit Brody Mihocek is also aiming to take on the Saints after missing last weekend’s pre-season clash with concussion.

“Brody is progressing really well after entering the concussion protocols following the match simulation hitout against North Melbourne,” Richardson said.

“We fully expect him to be available for Round 1 selection.”

Rising forward Luker Kentfield is set for a stint on the sidelines after an unfortunate mid-air hit early in the pre-season clash with Richmond.

“After a really solid pre-season and an impressive performance against the Kangaroos, it was really disappointing result for Luker,” Richardson said.

“He sustained an MCL tear, but fortunately he doesn’t need to have surgery.

“He’ll be in a brace for at least a couple of weeks with the view to being back around the six-week mark depending on the smoothness of his rehab process.”

Second-year Demon Jai Culley is ramping up his reintroduction to training following an arm fracture in February.

“Jai is progressing really well and will continue to increase his levels of training participation as he moves back into full contact drills,” Richardson said.

“He’s doing everything in his power to give himself a chance for Round 1.”