Melbourne to tread carefully as excitement surrounds key forward Jesse Hogan

MELBOURNE says it must treat prized forward Jesse Hogan carefully next season despite rising excitement about his form and fitness.

Melbourne Demons in Alice Springs. .Pic Wayne Ludbey, Jesse Hogan.

MELBOURNE says it must treat prized key forward Jesse Hogan carefully next season despite rising excitement levels about his form and fitness this preseason.

In his third AFL preseason, the powerhouse goalkicker has been so far untroubled by the back problems that wiped out his entire 2014 campaign.

The 19-year-old will beef-up a Melbourne forward line including Chris Dawes, ex-Carlton livewire Jeff Garlett and, in an expected return to the attacking 50m arc next season, Jeremy Howe.

Hogan is hurtling towards a Round 1 debut against Gold Coast at the MCG, but Melbourne list manager Todd Viney said the club will not overburden the 195cm spearhead in 2015.

Jesse Hogan does laps with Jack Viney at pre-season training. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“We have obviously got big hopes for him,” Viney said.

“But, in line with every other young kid, we don’t expect him to come in as a 19-year-old key position player and tear the competition apart.”

The Demons will also attempt to hold back premium midfielders Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw, who the club acquired with picks No. 2 and No. 3 in the national draft.

Viney said the club had learnt its lesson in the way it handled pick No. 4 Jimmy Toumpas in 2013 and pick No. 9 Christian Salem this year.

Jesse Hogan gives his defender the slip for Casey. Picture: Colleen Petch

Viney said Salem was flourishing in his second preseason after being played mainly as the substitute in 12 games last season.

In contrast, Toumpas was “thrown right in” to senior football off two hip operations and “found it hard” while the Dees “were getting smashed” in 2013.

“The second game of the year we lose to Essendon I think by 140 points and we got booed off,” Viney said.

“Now, for a kid experiencing that in his first year of footy is, geez, that is pretty confronting.

“Salem had no preseason either but he just came in and played a quarter here and there.

“It was a completely different focus and he played some good footy in patches.

“But I see him in preseason now and he is more confident. He is feeling good about himself.”

Originally published as Melbourne to tread carefully as excitement surrounds key forward Jesse Hogan