Melbourne vice-captain Jack Viney has been forced to cheer on his club's magnificent and surprising rise in 2026 from the sidelines.
The veteran midfielder is currently recovering from achilles and back injuries with no timeline yet on when he will return to running let alone playing in a VFL or AFL match.
Viney opened up on the frustration he has faced while trying to overcome his pair of injuries.
"I would love to be out there being part of the wins and the growth of the footy club," Viney said. "But I have just been trying to focus on the body and trying to get out there as soon as I can, which has been more frustrating than I definitely would have liked.
"We are ticking boxes, trying to keep pushing and play some footy this year; that's the goal with the team going so well.
"Like I said, it hasn't been a straight forward injury like I would have liked. It has been more of a complex one which we are trying to find solutions to throughout the whole season, but I feel like we will get there, eventually. It's just hard to put an ETA on.
"There is no timeline on it. It's really a hard one to say, 'This is the return date', because I am not back running yet and obviously there is a fair bit of strength and conditioning that's gotta go when I am back running. Once that happens we will get a closer idea of how close I am to returning.
"I am no stranger to injury, whether they have been broken bones or ankle scopes or that type of stuff, which once you have it done it's a pretty clear and linear recovery back. Whereas, having the achilles and then having my back in the mix it just hasn't been as clear cut."
Viney has played 237 games for the club since being drafted as a father-son selection in 2012. His father Todd played 233 matches and was captain of Melbourne for two seasons.
A tough and uncompromising player and leader at the Demons, Viney said he has used his time in rehab to delve into the world of coaching as a potential career in his post-playing life.
"Looking at opportunities while I haven't been able to play football and looking at the coaching staff, I have been in the coaches box every game this year even interstate and I am doing some coaching at my old school Carey Grammar, so there is definitely an appetite for coaching," he said.
"I do love it.
"While I haven't been able to get on the footy field in a playing capacity, still being involved with (Steven King) and the coaches and finding ways of getting the boys a W has been good fulfilment."
Sitting in the coaches box alongside King has given Viney a first class seat to witness the new coach's incredible start to life at the helm.
Many pundits predicted with the mass change at the Demons during the off-season with Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Steven May leaving while also moving on from premiership coach Simon Goodwin, that the club would nose dive to the bottom of the ladder.
However, Viney said the group has had great satisfaction in proving the football world wrong as Melbourne charges towards a potential top four finish.
"I don't want to point anyone out, but I am pretty sure there are some people in the media who said we would be 0-6 to start the year and probably bottom of the ladder," he said.
"Certainly, we have proven a few people wrong and we always had full confidence in the talent and people we had at the football club.
"We still have a long way to go in establishing what our brand and identity of football is, but to be where we are I think is a pretty good success at this point of the year."
Sunday's match between the Dees and the Tigers will see children get in for free.
