Heritier Lumumba ready to return for Melbourne in 2017 after concussion ruined 2016

HERITIER Lumumba is ready to fight for his career at Melbourne after concussion-related issues saw him shut down his year halfway through the 2016 season.

HERITIER Lumumba is ready to fight for his career at Melbourne after concussion-related issues saw him shut down his year halfway through the 2016 season.

Lumumba must play almost every game this season to a trigger a clause in his contract that would see him win a fourth year with the Demons.

The former Pie, who turns 30 next Tuesday, had a pair of concussions this year in Round 6 and 15 that saw him battle headaches and related symptoms.

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Ultimately he chose not to return to football in the last months of the year despite medicos clearing him to return to the game if he felt he was ready.

The 223-game half-back faces pressure to win a regular spot in Melbourne’s defence given mainstays Bernie Vince, Jayden Hunt, Christen Salem and Neville Jetta are joined by ex-Dons recruit Michael Hibberd.

But while some have questioned whether Lumumba will return to senior level he has told the club he is desperate to get back into the AFL side.

Heritier Lumumba at Melbourne training during the season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Melbourne’s first to four-year players return to the club on Monday under the direction of new coach Simon Goodwin, with Lumumba one of the senior players to return later in November.

He will try to put together a pre-season hopeful the symptoms do not reoccur before the Demons take on St Kilda in Round 1.

The pressure on Melbourne players for spots in that Round 1 side has never been fiercer given the club’s developing list.

Jake Melksham will finally get to suit up in Melbourne colours after his ASADA ban, with coach Simon Goodwin bullish about his potential to improve the side.

Four-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis, in New South Wales for Lance Franklin’s wedding this weekend, also rounds out an elite midfield.

Christian Petracca, one of the players to return this week, hopes to complete his first full pre-season after an exciting glimpse of his potential in 17 games last year.

Jordan Lewis adds plenty of experience to Melbourne’s midfield. Picture: Michael Klein

He tore his ACL in his first pre-season then a basketball accident broke his foot last summer, only making his debut in Round 6.

Several senior Demons face delayed starts to the season with Jack Viney (hip operation) and Tom McDonald (shoulder surgery) both going under the knife.

Cam Pedersen (shoulder) and Aaron vandenBerg (ankle) also had clean-outs.

The Demons delisted seven players including Chris Dawes, Ben Newton, Jack Grimes, Matt Jones, Viv Michie and Dean Terlich.

After trading this year’s first-round pick last year for Sam Weideman and the second-round pick for Hibberd, the Demons take selections 47, 69, 84 and 102 to the draft.

Originally published as Heritier Lumumba ready to return for Melbourne in 2017 after concussion ruined 2016