MELBOURNE is hopeful Jack Trengove will receive positive news next Tuesday when the 23-year-old midfielder meets his surgeon for an update on his foot.
The No.2 pick in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft had surgery in October to repair a navicular problem that has kept him out of the game since round two, 2014.
The Demons have put no timeline on the former skipper's return but fitness coach Dave Misson said he has been pleased with Trengove's progress since the operation.
However Misson told melbournefc.com.au that next Tuesday's report on Trengove's foot was "reasonably important".
"His foot’s looking really good and he’s walking around out of the (moon) boot, doing a lot of off-legs conditioning and some weights," Misson said.
"He’s staying really positive with things and we hope he gets a good report this week."
Trengove has played 81 games since making his debut in round one, 2010.
Meanwhile Misson is hopeful experienced pair Bernie Vince and Jeremy Howe will play a VFL practice match in the lead-up to round one.
However he said the duo, both recovering from hamstring injuries, still had a couple of boxes to tick before they got to that point.
"It’s all about how much training we think they need to do before we expose them to games of football," Misson said.
"We’re really happy with where they’re at and they’ll train with the group and do a little bit more next week. They might even play a little bit of a game next weekend."
Dean Kent is a 50-50 chance to resume this weekend after suffering a heel injury while draftee Alex Neal–Bullen, although progressing well, is still at least three weeks away from returning from his knee injury.
Misson said he was also pleased with the positive attitude Christian Petracca was taking as he embarks on his recovery from a knee reconstruction.
"Christian’s really starting to get stuck into his physio work," Misson said.
"He’s trying to get his knee a little bit stronger and a bit more range through it. He’s working on getting the swelling down, which is going pretty well."
