Joel Macdonald is available, Jack Grimes is 'likely', whilst Jack Viney and Jordie McKenzie are said to be 50/50. Sam Blease has received 'positive news' about his injury but has to pass a test.

Mark Jamar and Michael Evans have both been pushed out to 4 weeks.

Round 15 Melbourne injury list

Jack Grimes (shoulder) available
Joel Macdonald (foot) available
Sam Blease (ankle) test
Jordie McKenzie (elbow) test
Jack Viney (foot) test
Nathan Stark (ankle) 2-3 weeks
Rohan Bail (knee) 2-4 weeks
Michael Evans (foot) 4 weeks
Mark Jamar (foot) 4 weeks
Mitch Clark (foot) indefinite

Depending on your opinion of Jamar and how the 'tests' test you could argue that we are only 2 injuries away from a full strength side (Evans and Clark)

If we can maintain a vaguely settled side we could surprise a few over the next few weeks

Don't give a toss about 2013.

Just hope Mitch gets back on the park and gives us 5-8 years of good footy.

Don't give a toss about 2013.

Just hope Mitch gets back on the park and gives us 5-8 years of good footy.

I actually hope that they will NOT play Clark in a match this season What is the point? He knows how to play and won't forget.

He needs to be 100% ready to start and complete the full preseason with the rest of the team, not recovering from any further setbacks.

I have no doubt that he is maintaining his general fitness in a non weight bearing manner

Any news on the big fellas foot?

any news on the big fellas foot?

Yep he still has two of them!

So it is the Max and Jack show again this weekend.

Go lads don't be frighten by that feathered mob from Sin City.

Jack Viney is a test for this week! How awesome is that? A round or two at Casey to find touch and fitness and we'll have him back in the side for North Melbourne.

any news on the big fellas foot?

Was at the footy clinic at Goschs Paddock today, 95% of players in attendance.

Grimes said he will play this week if picked, Viney to play next week in VFL but he is back in full training, Mitch Clark still hoping to get back this year, ran today but they are still uncertain of how many actual weeks it will be. Evans about 1 week in front of Jamar with recovery same injury.

One other thing he said was that he has big expectations on Jake Spencer, thinks he will become a very good player.

One other thing he said was that he has big expectations on Jake Spencer, thinks he will become a vgood player.

He was showing quite a bit against the Saints. Really started to look like he could get there. We have really good depth in our talls right now. Just need a midfield to help them win the ball.

Great news on Mitch, thanks guys.

By way of comparison with the list in the OP, here's one from the Age:-

Sam Blease (ankle) test

Jordie McKenzie (elbow) test

Jack Grimes (shoulder) test

Jack Viney (toe) test

Nathan Stark (ankle) 1 week

Michael Evans (foot) 4 weeks

Mark Jamar (foot) 4 weeks

Mitch Clark (foot) indefinite

I had this bad feeling we may not see Mitch again. To hear he is up and running is great news. Fingers crossed his foot copes with the increased load.

If you add Grimes, Viney and McKenzie to our midfield, we start to look a whole lot better. Hopefully we'll be able to get all of the players that are on this list back out on the park in 2013 and string a few more wins together.

If you add Grimes, Viney and McKenzie to our midfield, we start to look a whole lot better. Hopefully we'll be able to get all of the players that are on this list back out on the park in 2013 and string a few more wins together.

It sounds as though Clisby has usurped the Co-Captain's spot as a rebounding Backman. Is Grimes long-term best position in the Centre or Back (assuming we pick up some excellent midfielders at draft time)?

By way of comparison with the list in the OP, here's one from the Age:-

Sam Blease (ankle) test

Jordie McKenzie (elbow) test

Jack Grimes (shoulder) test

Jack Viney (toe) test

Nathan Stark (ankle) 1 week

Michael Evans (foot) 4 weeks

Mark Jamar (foot) 4 weeks

Mitch Clark (foot) indefinite

Very odd. The one I posted is directly from the MFC website. How could there be differing lists?

Grimes' importance is underrated.. in 4 of the past 5 seasons he has missed a chunk of footy each year, so he has played 59 of a possible 101.. compare that to Nathan Jones, who has played 140 games of the last 145. The end result is that Jones is only 16 months older but has 89 games extra to his name. I wonder how good Grimesy would be now if he had as blessed a run as Jonesy has had. just seems to be one of those players unfortunatley

Jack Viney is a test for this week! How awesome is that? A round or two at Casey to find touch and fitness and we'll have him back in the side for North Melbourne.

Unfortunately, Casey have a bye this weekend - hope it doesn't push JV's return back a week.

If you add Grimes, Viney and McKenzie to our midfield, we start to look a whole lot better. Hopefully we'll be able to get all of the players that are on this list back out on the park in 2013 and string a few more wins together.

Our midfield doesnt look better. We need to take off our rose coloured glasses - these three were in our midfield early in the year together and we were still ewwww.

Love Grimes but he has yet to string games together and whilst he has at times built up to good form( before succumbing to injury) he has not reached anywhere near A grade yet. Viney is a case of "will be" but expecting him in his first year to really impact ? Nope. And McKenzie has been done to death - he is a tagger with no offensive side to his game.

Postscript - we may look better than our current setup but we are still way behind every other midfield in the league even with those three,

It sounds as though Clisby has usurped the Co-Captain's spot as a rebounding Backman. Is Grimes long-term best position in the Centre or Back (assuming we pick up some excellent midfielders at draft time)?

I think Grimes should come in for Dunns spot, I prefer him across half back picking up possies and taking intercept marks. He can also rotate through the midfield as well.

I'd go with:

Garland Frawley Terlich

Grimes McDonald Clisby

Unfortunately, Casey have a bye this weekend - hope it doesn't push JV's return back a week.

It could bring it forward a week.

Our midfield doesnt look better. We need to take off our rose coloured glasses - these three were in our midfield early in the year together and we were still ewwww.

Love Grimes but he has yet to string games together and whilst he has at times built up to good form( before succumbing to injury) he has not reached anywhere near A grade yet. Viney is a case of "will be" but expecting him in his first year to really impact ? Nope. And McKenzie has been done to death - he is a tagger with no offensive side to his game.

Postscript - we may look better than our current setup but we are still way behind every other midfield in the league even with those three,

I agree Nutbean

IMO Grimes is a backman

Viney is a kid that needs another year or two

And Mckenzie is a good VFL player.

I think Grimes should come in for Dunns spot, I prefer him across half back picking up possies and taking intercept marks. He can also rotate through the midfield as well.

I'd go with:

Garland Frawley Terlich

Grimes McDonald Clisby

With a bit of luck, I think we can lock this in as the first choice backline for the foreseeable future (jury still out on Clisby but good early signs).

And McKenzie has been done to death - he is a tagger with no offensive side to his game.

That's actually not quite right. If you go back and look at McKenzie under Bailey when his sole task wasn't tagging Jordie showed he did have offensive skills and played some very good games. He's a natural inside mid with very clean hands and his vision in close is very good. He also has very good stamina but hasn't been able to offer spread as he's been following the best mid from the opposition around for a couple of years.

I'm a bit sick of saying it but judging players, particularly younger developing players in the past few years is meaningless. Neeld killed them. He shredded their confidence, demanded defence and asked them to play a game plan not suited to the one of the youngest lists in the competition.

There is no doubt Jordie has stalled since Neeld came but prior to that many here had high opinions of him. Even in the last couple of weeks under a good coach we've seen significant improvement in players such as Trengove and Watts. I'm backing McKenzie to be one of those. McKenzie, like Trengove, is so team and coach oriented he will carry out the coaches instructions to the letter and it's why both have struggled to make impacts over the last couple of years. McKenzie is no world beater but I reckon you'll see a completely different player in the last half of this season.

I reckon James Strauss will improve significantly as well, he strikes me as a player who needs a bit of support which is something Neil Craig will offer. You only need to see the player reviews to see how Strauss is improving with Casey since Neeld has left. One wonders where Taggert would be at another club.

Don't underestimate what damage Neeld did to the psyche of our players. Grimes, Trengove, Watts, McKenzie, Taggert, Strauss, Blease, Spencer, Bail as well as experienced players such as Frawley were all impacted by the incompetence of Neeld. Now he is gone, along with others who were not up to the task, we will see what these players can produce given just half a chance.

That's actually not quite right. If you go back and look at McKenzie under Bailey when his sole task wasn't tagging Jordie showed he did have offensive skills and played some very good games. He's a natural inside mid with very clean hands and his vision in close is very good. He also has very good stamina but hasn't been able to offer spread as he's been following the best mid from the opposition around for a couple of years.

I'm a bit sick of saying it but judging players, particularly younger developing players in the past few years is meaningless. Neeld killed them. He shredded their confidence, demanded defence and asked them to play a game plan not suited to the one of the youngest lists in the competition.

There is no doubt Jordie has stalled since Neeld came but prior to that many here had high opinions of him. Even in the last couple of weeks under a good coach we've seen significant improvement in players such as Trengove and Watts. I'm backing McKenzie to be one of those. McKenzie, like Trengove, is so team and coach oriented he will carry out the coaches instructions to the letter and it's why both have struggled to make impacts over the last couple of years. McKenzie is no world beater but I reckon you'll see a completely different player in the last half of this season.

I reckon James Strauss will improve significantly as well, he strikes me as a player who needs a bit of support which is something Neil Craig will offer. You only need to see the player reviews to see how Strauss is improving with Casey since Neeld has left. One wonders where Taggert would be at another club.

Don't underestimate what damage Neeld did to the psyche of our players. Grimes, Trengove, Watts, McKenzie, Taggert, Strauss, Blease, Spencer, Bail as well as experienced players such as Frawley were all impacted by the incompetence of Neeld. Now he is gone, along with others who were not up to the task, we will see what these players can produce given just half a chance.

funny you say that bb

as a young bloke my son played against him for 3 years,he was nothing but a scragger in all that time

nice kid, great family, terrific work ethic

but just a scrubber