MELBOURNE is set for a luxury of riches, with the unbeaten Demons hopeful that Steven May and Bayley Fritsch will join key forwards Ben Brown and Sam Weideman as being available for next Saturday's Anzac Day Eve clash with Richmond.
The Demons ended round five in second place on the ladder after overcoming Hawthorn with a blistering fourth term, and could be bolstered ahead of next week's meeting with the back-to-back reigning premiers at the MCG.
Key defender May missed the clash with Hawthorn after fracturing his eye socket last week while a fractured hand at training ruled out goalkicker Fritsch, but coach Simon Goodwin said the club was optimistic both could return against the Tigers.
"[Fritsch] is a possibility this week. He had his surgery and he's got a pretty solid week to work through from a physical perspective but if he's not right we won't take a risk with him either. We'll see where he sits on Wednesday or Thursday," Goodwin said post-game.
May suffered his nasty eye injury against Geelong and spent time in hospital but the club is "really hopeful" he will be back to take on former Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch at the Tigers.
Meanwhile, Weideman and Brown are available for selection at AFL level after impressing in the VFL for the Casey Demons on Sunday, with Weideman booting seven goals and recruit Brown bagging three.
The Demons are set to weigh up their forward structure, which motored in the final quarter against the Hawks and has averaged 13 goals a game this season, but will not move Tom McDonald (two goals, 22 disposals against Hawthorn) into defence after another fruitful showing.
HAWKS v DEMONS Full match coverage and stats
"It's a fantastic problem to have. It's one that we didn't think we'd have at the start of the year and through the period that we went through at the end of last season," he said.
"The emergence of 'Jacko' (Luke Jackson) and Tom's form is making it really hard for selection. It's a great problem to have and we'll keep assessing it on a week by week basis but we're functioning well at the moment and that's the attitude we'll take. The team's performing well.
"If we can find ways to get better, whether that be through method or personnel, we'll make those changes."
While the Demons have an abundance of key forward options, the Hawks may look to find one at the upcoming mid-season rookie draft according to coach Alastair Clarkson.
With Jon Patton's retirement confirmed last week, the Hawks have opened up a spot on their list, and Clarkson said the club would consider bolstering that department in the mid-year intake.
"It allows us now as a football club to actually use that spot on the list. We spoke about our forwards in regard to this week's game and he was going to be a key part of [those plans this year] and now we've got a list spot that we can look at other guys who can maybe fill that spot in the mid-season draft," Clarkson said.
"We'll search through that and look at ways to better our list and give ourselves a chance to move ahead from this point."
The Hawks got within four points of the Demons early in the last quarter before the Demons blew them away.
"We did enough in three quarters to suggest we're on the right path but ultimately when you lose a game by 50 points it looks like it's been a pretty miserable day. We were pretty pleased with what we were able to serve up for the first three quarters," Clarkson said.
