MELBOURNE will meet with Harley Bennell this week, as he looks to make his return to AFL football.

The club is among several linked to the former Gold Coast and Fremantle midfielder, who has played a total of 83 games.

General manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said while the Demons are interested in the 27-year-old, there are many conversations to be had.

“As a club, we have to look at every opportunity to make our list better, and Harley Bennell’s obviously a very talented player,” he told Melbourne Media.

“There are a lot of things we have to discuss, and those conversations involve our coaches, our performance staff, our doctors; it really is a club decision.

“We’re trying to get as much information as we can from Harley – where his injury is at currently, what the plan looks like for him moving forward and what the opportunities are for him to get back to playing AFL football.”

Pending the outcome of his visit, Bennell could join the Demons under the AFL’s new rookie rule – the same rule that earned Jay Lockhart a spot on Melbourne’s list in 2019.

Bennell would train with the red and blue throughout the pre-season, with the possibility of being selected in the supplemental selection period, concluding in early March.