MELBOURNE key forward Chris Dawes says he should be returning to the field in the next fortnight.
Dawes, 27, strained his left calf in February. He has a history of calf issues and has played just 44 games for the Demons since arriving at the club from Collingwood at the end of 2012.
The 2010 Magpie premiership player said it had been hard to gauge when he was ready to play but believed his comeback was imminent.
"It (the calf) feels pretty good. I was pushing pretty hard to play this week, but speaking to the physios and the high performance team, they're keen for me to get one more week of more controlled training," Dawes said.
"Barring any mishap, I should be back next weekend in the VFL.
"The frustrating thing is, I've been saying that to people for a month."
Melbourne's VFL affiliate, the Casey Scorpions, play the Northern Blues at Casey Fields on Sunday, May 8, on the weekend Dawes has earmarked for his return.
Luck is not on Dawes' side at the moment after his number plates were stolen from his car on Wednesday.
"That's what you get for not having a lock-up garage in Richmond," he said.
The Demons are the sixth-highest scoring team this season, a huge improvement from 2015 when they finished 16th in that category.
Jack Watts is in the form of his career, notching 12 goals in five games, while Jesse Hogan (nine) is second on the list of Melbourne goalkickers.
Dawes said his best form is good enough to earn a spot in the team, despite the high level of competition.
He also cited the form of fellow talls Sam Frost and Cam Pedersen as being impressive.
"The team's firing. They don't need me desperately, whereas a couple of years ago I was probably playing through injury at times because I felt like the team really needed me out there," he said.
"We've got guys who are playing their roles really well. In that sense, it's not going to be easy.
"But I'm an experienced player and I'm confident in my own ability, once I'm conditioned, to get back into the senior team."
Dawes said he had concerns about whether his body could withstand the rigours of a full season.
"I'm probably getting to that point (of losing faith in his body)," he said.
"What I do have confidence in is the medical team around me.
"At times, I've pushed too hard at the wrong times … and I've tried to do too much too soon.
"It's a valid question, particularly the older I get, but the best answer I can give is… I'm still really confident in my own ability to get through this."
Dawes was at the MCG on Thursday to promote the Sleep at the 'G event to raise awareness about youth homelessness.
The Demons are the home team against St Kilda on Saturday afternoon at Etihad Stadium, looking to break a streak of 12 consecutive losses to the Saints.
