MELBOURNE has turned to a club legend to lead it for the rest of the season in the wake of coach Dean Bailey's sacking.

Todd Viney, a 233-game champion and former captain of the club, has taken over as caretaker coach for the rest of 2011.

Since finishing as a player at the end of 1999, the South Australian has compiled an impressive coaching CV, beginning as an assistant at Melbourne in 2000.

He then went bush to take the helm at country club Moama before being lured back to the city to work under another former Demon, Alastair Clarkson, at Hawthorn.

With the Hawks from 2005 to 2008, Viney was seen as an important factor in the team's rise to premiership glory in his final year at Waverley Park.

Next followed two seasons as assistant coach at Adelaide before he broke contract and returned to the Demons as general manager of list development at the end of 2010.

A tough, uncompromising midfielder during his 11 years as a Demons player from 1987, Viney's career was littered with honours.

He was captain in 1998-99, won the club best and fairest in 1993 and 1998 and was All Australian in 1998.

The 45-year-old is also a member of the Melbourne hall of fame and was named on the interchange in the club's team of the century (selected in 2000) alongside long-time teammate and current Demons president Jim Stynes.

On the representative front, Viney played for South Australia on several occasions during the 1990s and was a member of the Australian international rules team in both 1998 and 1999.

A top tennis player as a youngster, he briefly retired from football in 1996 to become Mark Philippoussis' fitness coach.

Viney's son Jack is set to continue the family tradition at the Demons when he is taken as a father-son selection in the 2012 draft.

The 17-year-old starred for Vic Metro at this year's NAB AFL Under 18 Championships, having already signed a five-year contract with Melbourne in November 2010 that will tie him to the club until 2015.

Todd's brother Jay played 23 games for Melbourne between 1988 and 1991.