Melbourne forward Jake Melksham managing ankle, hamstring issues during light pre-season so far

Melbourne forward Jake Melksham says he is “playing it safe” with his body this off-season but expects to be fit to resume full training next month.

Jake Melksham’s summer has been hampered. Pic: Getty Images

Melbourne forward Jake Melksham says he is “playing it safe” with his body this off-season but expects to be fit to resume full training next month.

Melksham, 27, had post-season ankle surgery and has also managed hamstring tightness in recent weeks, which has kept him training on an individual program away from the main group.

“I had a bit of ankle surgery at the end of the year just to clean that up and coming back the other week a little bit of hamstring tightness,” Melksham said.

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“I actually injured that same hamstring during the year so they’re just keeping it a little bit cautious at the minute, just pre-Christmas.

“I’ll be totally fine. If we were training next week I’d be in with the main group.”

Melbourne forward Jake Melksham completed a light training session on Friday as he continues his recovery from ankle surgery and hamstring tightness. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

The Demons completed their final training session of the year at Gosch’s Paddock on Friday, with defender Jake Lever also doing some running and kicking drills away from the main group.

Lever, who missed the second half of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, is building his running again after having minor surgery on his reconstructed left knee earlier this month to fix an irritation caused by scar tissue.

“He’s going all right, Jake,” Melksham said.

“Working in with him in the rehab he’s ticking off a fair bit of volume at the moment in terms of his running and I think it’s just a day-to-day thing with him on how it’s feeling and they work around that.”

Melksham played a key role across half forward for the Demons in 2018. Pic: Getty Images

Champion Data rates Melbourne’s list the most talented of any side entering 2019, but Melksham said talent only accounted for so much and the Demons were determined to further build on the brand of football they played this year.

“We know that we’ve got a young, talented list,” Melksham said.

“But sometimes that doesn’t mean too much if you’re getting the ball 40 times and you’re not doing much with it, either.

“It’s about teaching those young kids with all the talent about how we want to play our brand of footy and how we want to implement that going into next year.”