Melbourne is set to welcome back Ed Langdon (wedding) and Jacob van Rooyen (concussion) for Sunday's clash with St Kilda, while Adam Tomlinson appears to be the likely replacement for the injured Jake Lever.
Langdon - who was absent in the loss to West Coast - was given the green light to attend his sister's wedding in London but has since returned to Melbourne and is ready to go.
Demons coach Simon Goodwin said the club stood with the decision for the winger to miss - which has been in their planning since early in the year - but is keen to get him back into the side.
"Ed will play. He was away last week for his sister's wedding. That was something we are really passionate about – about family being a priority – we won't compromise on that," Goodwin said on Thursday.
"For Ed, it was a really important process for him to be there for his sister. They've got a really close relationship. She lives in London. We were really supportive of his journey back there.
"We won't compromise because we know how important family is. It's not going to be the same for every person, but for Ed it was important and we knew about it in the pre-season and we planned for it."
Van Rooyen is expected to be available pending he exits concussion protocols while Goodwin is "fixed" on playing swingman Harrison Petty forward, opening the door for Tomlinson to return to the senior side for the first time since Opening Round.
The former Giant has been a depth player since joining the club, having not crossed the 13-game mark in a season from 2020 onwards.
With Lever going down with concussion and subsequent knee surgery that "he's been managing for the last three or four weeks", Tomlinson appears the likely defensive cover alongside Steven May and Tom McDonald.
Petty remaining in attack during Demons match sim.
Adam Tomlinson in a three-tall backline with Tom McDonald and Steven May.
Ben Brown playing in the B side with Jacob van Rooyen in A side and pushing to return from concussion. https://t.co/Soocwh3EEo— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) May 23, 2024
"Adam Tomlinson is in really good form," Goodwin said.
"The decision for us is whether we go a bit taller or stay a bit smaller. We'll train today and have a look at that, but we've got some options."
With van Rooyen's return set for Sunday, veteran forward Ben Brown is expected to make way, while the club is likely to persist with Petty alongside hybrid forwards Shane McAdam and Bayley Fritsch.
Despite a disappointing fortnight that yielded consecutive losses, Melbourne still finds themselves in the top eight and will be looking to cement their spot as the mid-point of the year approaches.
