As the Australian Football League’s high-stakes wildcard final between the Melbourne Demons and Carlton Blues draws near, four of Melbourne’s top players remain under fitness observation this week, with veteran fan-favorite midfielder Jack Viney leading the group vying for a last-minute selection call. The Demons head into this do-or-die knockout clash after a disappointing round 24 loss to the Western Bulldogs, leaving the club with no margin for error if they hope to advance deeper into the 2024 finals series.
Viney has fought his way back from a season plagued by persistent back and Achilles injuries, logging a successful comeback appearance in the Victorian Football League (the AFL’s reserve development competition) just two weeks ago. Speaking to reporters this week, interim Melbourne coach Steven King confirmed that the tough, hard-nosed on-baller has put himself firmly in contention for a spot in the senior finals side.
King noted that multiple players who turned in strong training performances over the recent weekend are in the selection mix, and Viney is among the leading candidates. “There’s probably five, six or seven players that trained strongly over the weekend that will definitely come into the mix (and) Jack is one of them,” King said. Alongside Viney, fellow aspirants Jake Melksham, Xavier Taylor, Max Heath, and Paddy Cross are all ready to step into the senior side if called upon.
King explained that the VFL run was just the first step in Viney’s comeback, with limited match conditioning after months sidelined. “Last week was a finals-type game as well, it’s probably just more the lead-in (for Viney), playing just the one VFL game and then training. If we had another month up our sleeve we would have a bit more data and we’d sort of know where we’re at a bit more,” the coach added.
Despite the unknowns around Viney’s match fitness, King praised the lifelong Melbourne player’s finals-ready style of play, emphasizing that his competitive intensity will not be in question. “What I do know is that Jack is a Melbourne man – he plays the game in a way that’s built for finals. There will be no questioning whether what he’ll bring will be up to AFL intensity, it will be how long he can sustain it,” King said. He added that the club is prioritizing Viney’s long-term welfare, noting that while the temptation to insert him straight into the line-up is strong, the coaching staff will only select him if they are fully confident he is physically prepared.
Beyond Viney’s comeback bid, the Demons are also closely monitoring the fitness of three other key players – defender Jake Lever, midfielder Daniel Turner and forward Matt Jefferson – who picked up knocks during last week’s bruising round 24 loss to the Bulldogs. Initial concerns over Turner’s injury have eased following medical assessments, and all three players have until Thursday’s training session to prove they are fit enough to take on Carlton.
King shared that Turner will get a light training run on Monday, while Lever and Jefferson are currently managing more significant soreness. “But from what we thought initially, it’s a lot better. We’ll give them to later in the week to see where they’re at (after) they’re off legs today,” King said. “Turner will train a little bit this morning, but obviously with a seven-day break, we get the opportunity to wait until Thursday to really see where they’re at.”
The coach confirmed that all three remain in contention for selection, after scan results ruled out the worst-case injury scenarios. “I think they’re all a chance – the feedback initially was that they might be on the more severe side, but after getting them scanned, we’ll just see how they respond,” he said. King stressed that the club will not risk selecting any player who is not fully fit, both for the individual player’s welfare and the team’s chances of pulling off an upset win. “I am not going to put anyone that’s in any doubt out there in a final for their own welfare but also for the team. We’ve got to make sure we pick a team that’s (healthy) … it’s going to be a fairly intense game,” he added.