MELBOURNE captain Nathan Jones says the club has turned its ruck injury crisis into a positive in the absence of star big man Max Gawn and understudy Jake Spencer. 

Jones and his fellow midfielders have had the luxury of roving to the dominant Gawn in recent seasons, but the veteran said the lack of a recognised ruckman had forced the Demons to restructure how they approach stoppages.    

With key forwards Jack Watts and Cam Pedersen filling in for their injured teammates over the past two weeks, Melbourne has still managed to win the stoppages and clearances despite being thrashed in the hit-outs. 

"We haven't really seen it as a disadvantage, it's probably shuffled our team around a little bit, but it's also teaching us a new skillset in terms of how we work together as a midfield group," Jones told radio station RSN on Tuesday.

"We are planning for the opposition to generally win the majority of the hit-outs and I've think we've gone reasonably well in that area. 

"On the weekend we ended up winning contested possessions, clearance metres, clearance numbers and those kind of (stats). 

"Rather than relying on the dominance of the ruck's hand, (we've been able to) outnumber at ground level, reading the opposition ruckman, and it's also adding to the (skillset of the) guys that have been playing in the ruck."

While injuries to the club's ruck division have helped the midfield evolve, Jones believes the situation has also answered a query over the balance of the side. 

"A question mark over our group earlier in the year was, 'Who plays second ruck if we play Gawn full-time?','' Jones said.

"I think the (injury situation) has given opportunity to Cam Pedersen, to 'Wattsy', who in my eyes, have both grabbed that opportunity by the horns. 

"They've almost become a fourth midfielder when they've played (in the ruck) and I think that’s been an advantage for us." 

"Hopefully that becomes an even greater advantage when we do get a dominant ruckman back."