The old adage that a week can turn fortunes upside down in Australian Rules football has never rung more true for Melbourne Demons veteran Jack Viney. Just seven days ago, Demons acting coach Steven King publicly confirmed the club was on the verge of writing off the midfielder’s 2026 season entirely, as a persistent, debilitating back injury had derailed his training and match availability for months.
But in a sudden, encouraging turnaround, Viney took part in the full team training session at Melbourne’s Casey Fields base on Wednesday morning, marking a clear step forward in his rehabilitation that has reopened the door for his return to the pitch this year. King told reporters post-session that the 29-year-old hard-nosed onballer had responded far better to an increased training load than medical and coaching staff had anticipated.
“Sometimes when you ramp up a player’s load after an extended injury break, their body either can’t handle the stress or it adapts positively – and right now, Jack is moving in the right direction,” King explained. “We might have finally gotten past that stubborn barrier that was stopping him from stringing multiple sessions together. I’m not going to put a hard timeline on his return, though – he could get three-quarters of the way through a session tomorrow and feel sore again. That’s just how back injuries go.”
The coach emphasized that the club never fully closes the door on any injured player’s comeback, adding that Viney’s progress is a welcome boost as the Demons begin to get multiple long-term injured players back in the fold. “We focus on the guys we have available week to week, so when you get some much-needed depth back on the list, it’s a nice little bonus,” King said. “Right now, we’ve got a few players who’ve been out for a long time starting to push for selection, and that gives us a lot more flexibility with our team structure.”
While Viney won’t be suiting up for Melbourne’s high-stakes Friday night clash against league contenders Geelong, he will be joined in the stands by another returning injured star: improved key defender Daniel Turner. Turner was forced out of last round’s win over North Melbourne with a rib injury that required hospital assessment, and was initially ruled out for four weeks of game time.
King called Turner’s absence for the Geelong game a significant loss, noting that “he’s emerged as one of the best key defenders in the competition this season, and he’s really hard to replace.” Even so, the coach expressed confidence the Demons have enough cover to step up, with several options already in the selection frame.
“Tom McDonald is a veteran option who can swing down back, Lucas Cook is back fit after his own injury layoff, Xavier Taylor has been in great form at the VFL level, and Harrison Petty is available for selection this week and can easily slot into the defensive line,” King outlined. “We’ll get through Thursday’s final training session, then the match committee will sit down and work out the best match-up for Geelong’s forward group.”
In further positive injury news for the Demons, Christian Salem is also nearing a comeback, while Changkuoth Jiath is considered a potential inclusion for Friday night despite being forced off the ground with a minor injury in last week’s win.