Melbourne confirms captain Jack Viney won’t play against Geelong in Round 1

MELBOURNE will face Geelong on March 25 without co-captain Jack Viney after the Demons admitted their co-captain had run out of time to be fit for Round 1.

Jack Viney is racing the clock to be fit for Round 1. Picture: Getty

MELBOURNE will face Geelong on March 25 without co-captain Jack Viney after the Demons admitted their co-captain had run out of time to be fit for Round 1.

Viney missed Melbourne’s final JLT clash against St Kilda on Friday night and is still on track to play some minutes for VFL affiliate Casey in a practice match against Box Hill on March 17.

Viney is on the comeback trail from a persistent foot injury.

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“We have decided that to give Jack the best preparation for the full year, he will not be available for selection for Round 1,” football manager Josh Mahoney told the AFL website.

“Whilst he has not had any setbacks in his rehab program, Jack has not completed enough football sessions to give him the best chance to perform for the entire season.”

Jack Viney is racing the clock to be fit for Round 1. Picture: Getty

Teammate Jesse Hogan talked up Viney’s recovery earlier this week.

“He’s actually been flying, as you’d say, at training so if he can get some run in his legs and a bit of game time there’s no reason why he couldn’t play Round 1,” Hogan said.

Hogan has been getting a taste of the midfield this summer, a role the forward said would keep him fresh and focused this season.

“I guess playing as a forward it can get, I wouldn’t say monotonous is the word, but it’s quite nice and refreshing to kind of look at the game from a different perspective and I think ‘Goody’ (coach Simon Goodwin) likes to his players alert and fresh and educated in all types (of positions) of the game,” Hogan said.

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“It’s good fun. I guess if I’m to play (in the midfield) it’s going to be more of a burst role, when maybe Christian Petracca goes forward I might play in the midfield just while he rests.

“It’ll probably only be little spurts.”

Jesse Hogan could spend more time up the ground in 2018. Picture: Michael Klein

Hogan had a challenging year in 2017 after losing his father and then surgery after the 23-year-old was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

He said he has returned to Melbourne rejuvenated after spending part of the summer back home in Perth.

“I came into the pre-season really fresh with a clear mindset,” he said.

Hogan said the club had expectations of playing finals this season.

“Leaving the year with that fire in your belly and being so close, to miss it in the fashion we did was obviously disappointing, so that alone should probably fuel a team like us enough to want to get there,” he said.