FORWARD Sam Weideman will need to prove his fitness if he is to return for Melbourne this week.
Weideman was forced to miss last weekend’s clash against the Western Bulldogs, with the Demon succumbing to a calf injury in the lead up to the game.
But there’s still chance the key tall will be ready for Round 18.
“Sam is starting to progress okay – he will have a run today,” Elite Performance Manager Dave Misson told Melbourne Media.
“He’s probably a 50-50 chance of playing this weekend against West Coast.”
Tim Smith will also look to push his case, as he works towards a complete recovery from his injury concern.
Smith has missed the past two matches after hurting his calf in Round 15, with Misson confident of a return to full fitness.
“He had a significant rehab session today, with a view to train on Thursday and then play on the weekend.”
Marty Hore (collarbone), Tom McDonald (knee) and Jeff Garlett (shoulder) have all undergone successful surgeries in recent weeks, with the former the only one likely to return this season.
“Marty is having his first run today, but he’s probably a little bit slow with his range at the moment,” Misson said.
“He’ll definitely miss this week and potentially next week as well.
“Tom is now one-week post-op – he’s off crutches and walking around. We’ll get him into the gym next week and start doing some strength work with him.
“Jeff’s surgery went well – they didn’t find any more damage than what we thought was there.
“He’ll probably be out of the sling later this week and is heading up to Alice Springs on Thursday to do some community work.”
Meanwhile, Jake Melksham (foot) and Tom Sparrow (knee) are less than a month away, with the duo looking to return to training next week, while Billy Stretch (foot) is on a similar timeline.
“Billy’s strung together a couple of runs now,” Mission said.
“He’s just starting to do some agility work, which will tell us a little bit more about his progression moving forward. We’ll know a little bit more after today’s session.”
And Aaron vandenBerg, who has had ongoing trouble with his foot this season, is slowly making progress.
“Vanders has put together five or so sessions now,” Mission said.
“We’re looking to start to increase his volume a little bit, but his timeframe is yet to be confirmed.”
Check out the full injury list below:
Injury List - Round 18
Tim Smith | Calf – Test
Sam Weideman | Calf – Test
Marty Hore | Collarbone – 2-3 weeks
Billy Stretch | Foot – 3-4 weeks
Jake Melksham | Foot – 3-4 weeks
Tom Sparrow | Knee – 3-4 weeks
Tom McDonald | Knee – TBC
Kade Kolodjashnij | Head – TBC
Aaron vandenBerg | Foot – TBC
Jeff Garlett | Shoulder – Season
Joel Smith | Groin – Season
Aaron Nietschke | Knee – Season
Guy Walker | Shoulder – Indefinite
