Mitch Clark is ready to excel after fighting off his foot issues

MELBOURNE says injury-prone forward Mitch Clark has finally overcome recurring foot issues and is already into his 2014 pre-season.

Mitch Clark

MELBOURNE says injury-prone forward Mitch Clark has finally overcome recurring foot issues and is already into his 2014 pre-season.

Clark has played just 15 games in two years after a lisfranc fracture in his foot, ruining a stunning start to his new career at Melbourne.

But he is finally running without pain and completing his own pre-season at AAMI Park ahead of a November 18 official pre-season start.

He will be joined by two recruits the Demons are labelling their own virtual top-ten picks after a busy trade period.

The Demons controversially traded away pick two for former No. 3 draft pick Dom Tyson, receiving pick nine and exchanging later picks with the Giants.

TYSON COULD BE THE NEXT SIMON BLACK

Victorian Tyson has battled injury in his first two seasons, including a PCL rupture late last year, and has never completed an AFL pre-season.

The Dees will also unleash boom recruit Jesse Hogan into his first full senior pre-season, confident he has recovered from a late-season knee injury which saw him miss VFL finals.

Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said it meant the Demons effectively had three top-ten picks despite criticism new coach Paul Roos did not rate the draft process.

A midfield smashed all year now has Adelaide’s Bernie Vince (exchanged for pick 23), Tyson and Fremantle’s Viv Michie, with Jack Watts also to play in the midfield.

TRADE WRAP

Chris Dawes will ease into the pre-season given continuing ‘’hiccups’’ with his preparation, but Mahoney said Clark was in great shape.

“He is out of rehab and into a conditioning phase. He is doing a lot of running and footy-specific conditioning,” Mahoney said.

“He will be training hard like everyone else and we are really excited by what 2014 can bring for him. The surgeons are very happy with how he’s healed and where he is at. Mitch feels like he can get through sessions and back up without pain in his foot, so we are confident and comfortable about where he’s at.’’

Mahoney said the Demons believed Tyson was every bit the player who deserved to be taken at pick three two seasons ago.

“He has only played 13 games given his injuries, but he has shown what a class young player he is. It is difficult with injuries and interrupted pre-seasons, but if he gets a good run at it he will show he is still the player everyone thought he was two years ago.’’

The Demons will now have pick nine, 40 and 58, with Mahoney confident several exceptional talents will be available when the club uses its first pick.