JACK Trengove plans to start pre-season training with his Melbourne teammates and remains confident he will be ready to play in round one next season.
In what he admits is a make-or-break year, Trengove, who is contracted until the end of next season, said his recovery from a second bout of foot surgery in October last year was well on track.
Trengove began running at the start of August and has slowly stepped up the intensity and distance covered in those sessions.
"That's the plan at this stage," Trengove said when asked whether he would be fit to join in the start of pre-season training on November 23.
"There's a lot of water to pass under the bridge and no doubt there'll be the odd time where you do take two steps forward and one step back. That's the nature of the injury.
"But the way it's going at this stage and, if it continues this way, then round one is certainly possible."
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Having spent so much time on the sidelines, Trengove feels he is taking definitive steps to getting back on the field.
"There was a fair while there where I felt like I was belting my head against a brick wall and not getting very far," he said.
"But when you go from walking to jogging and doing some running you feel like you've made some fair inroads and you can certainly see the light at the end of the tunnel now."
Trengove said he understands the importance of next year on his playing future.
"The reality is that it's a pretty ruthless sport and we've seen in recent years that it's getting more ruthless in terms of contracts and clubs looking to see what's best for them," he said.
"There's no doubt that I'm in for a long year in terms of trying to put my best foot forward and play some good footy to warrant another contract.
"That's the plan at this stage and hopefully I can do that."
Meanwhile, retired midfielder Daniel Cross will remain at Melbourne as a development and rehabilitation coach.
Football operations manager Josh Mahoney was delighted that Cross had decided to remain involved at Melbourne after considering opportunities elsewhere in the football industry.
"Daniel has a sports science degree and was keen to work in this area post playing," Mahoney told the club's website.
"He will work across the high performance and development teams during the week and will be our match-day runner on game day."
After taking the time to ponder his options, Cross decided that Melbourne offered him the best chance for personal and professional success in his post-playing career.
"What clinched it for me was the emotional attachment I have for the playing group. I feel like I’ve been part of the rebuild since Roosy [Paul Roos] came to the club.
"To continue in the fitness group and to help the boys grow and succeed as a team – that really excited me. That was what drew me in the end."
