JAYDEN Hunt's chances of winning a recall back into Melbourne's team have been dealt a serious blow, with the speedy defender to be sidelined for up to six weeks with an ankle injury.
The defender was on crutches as he arrived at the club on Tuesday morning after he suffered the injury to his right ankle in the final contest of Saturday's VFL match against Collingwood at Casey Fields.
Demons high performance manager Dave Misson told AFL.com.au Hunt's injury would be monitored carefully over the next few weeks.
"He is currently on crutches to totally offload his foot, because we have a bit of time, given we have the bye this week," Misson said.
"At this stage, Jayden is likely to miss 4-6 weeks."
Hunt has been on the precipice of selection after some strong form at VFL level over the last month as he works to find the balance between attack and defence and his consistency within games.
The 23-year-old was the carryover emergency for the Demons' clash with Adelaide in Alice Springs in round 10, but has averaged 20 touches in his last three VFL matches.
After two excellent seasons at AFL level in 2016 and 2017, Hunt has been unable to establish himself in Melbourne's side this season and last played at AFL level in round seven.
Hunt's mix of pace, competitiveness and ability to perform a task make him an important player in Melbourne's future, with the speedster signed at the Demons until the end of 2020.