Melbourne sweats on fitness of key forwards Mitch Clark, Chris Dawes and Jesse Hogan

MELBOURNE'S three key forwards Mitch Clark, Chris Dawes and Jesse Hogan are all yet to join in full training.

MELBOURNE will hit the NAB Challenge with its best available team, but cannot guarantee star forward Mitch Clark will be fit for Round 1.

The Demons have a trio of key forwards in Clark, ex-Collingwood tall Chris Dawes (knee) and Jesse Hogan (knee) all yet to join in full training.

Hogan should be back with the full squad this week after a minor knee strain, while Dawes is only being eased back into training after knee surgery pre-Christmas.

Clark is clearly the club's most dominant forward, but is yet to join full training after just 15 games due to a foot fracture in the past two years.

Melbourne is hopeful he will filter into the pre-season campaign, but is not rushing him.

Football manager Josh Mahoney says the club is intent on ramping up its match simulation training ahead of its first NAB Challenge game against Richmond on February 14 at Etihad Stadium.

Jesse Hogan has been sidelined by a minor knee strain. Picture: Josie Hayden

"We will be playing our best team available at that stage, and then we play two weeks late in Alice Springs, and as people are ready, they will play,'' Mahoney said.

"Our three key forwards in Dawes, Clark and Hogan are all at different stages of training at the moment, but we think they will all play a part in our pre-season campaign which extends for five weeks.

"Mitch is on track to play early in the year and ideally he plays Round 1. We will monitor him closely for the next 5-6 weeks, and if he is ready for a NAB Challenge game, we will play him.

"Hogan will be back in training later this week, and since Chris had his operation he had a really important block of running to do. He is building on that and he will be in footy training next week and then we will build up his match fitness and games."

Mitch Clark works on his boxing skills during Melbourne's heatwave.

Mahoney said the Demons would not be a Sydney clone under new coach Paul Roos, keen to play defence-based football but using tactics from many successful teams.

"The main focus is on what the best teams have been doing and teams consistently in the top four, similar to what Fremantle has been doing and Hawthorn too. There are different elements of each game plan.

"We are not just copying what Sydney has done, we have an experienced coaching group which will mix in a little of everything and come up with a way of playing."