Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says if key defender Steven May passes training on Tuesday, he'll be picked for the Anzac Day eve clash against Richmond.
May has had a wretched run with injuries, playing three games for the season thus far, with a tear to his plantar fascia the most recent issue.
Goodwin confirmed on Tuesday that if the premiership Demon gets through the session, and how he pulls up on Wednesday, he'll take on the Tigers.
"It's pretty positive," Goodwin said.
"We won't know until tomorrow, but he's got a few things to work through today.
"(May) was very close last week, it was a slight niggle to the groin but we feel confident he's made some big progression.
"He's huge, personnel plays a big part, but so does method, and Steven is a big driver in our team ‘D' (defence).
"I thought our backs held up incredibly well, Tom McDonald did a fantastic job in leading that defensive unit, but we get Steven May hopefully this week, Judd McVee hopefully this week.
"The personnel that we've been missing is certainly coming back into our team."
Melbourne put together a make-shift defence against Fremantle to secure their first win of 2025, with veteran Tom McDonald leading the charge.
Goodwin noted the club's improved attacking performance in Round 6, with the club reaching 107 points.
The handball game that added chaos and a frenetic pace to the contest proved to be of significance to the Demons' chances, with Kysaiah Pickett (five goals) and Harrison Petty (four) the beneficiaries.
"I think that's what you're looking for, little gains you can grab hold of and say ‘that's more of what we're about,'" Goodwin said.
"I thought on the weekend we saw a bit more of that, our challenge now is to make that more consistent.
"We're certainly not the perfect product, we've got a lot of work to do in terms of where we're at, but I think everyone would've seen a little bit of the things we've been working on."
