Melbourne got a close look at how its new-look 2026 midfield group will shape up at its intra-club on Friday.
Caleb Windsor was the standout of the session, with his drive from the midfield, pace and overlap catching the eye.
Jack Steele, Harvey Langford and Tom Sparrow were also part of the midfield, with Steele set to have a big role to play as the experienced head.
As revealed earlier this week, Jack Viney is set to miss at least the first three months of the season, with the departures of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver also leaving the Dees short on experienced midfielders.
The former St Kilda captain got first hands to the footy repeatedly, releasing Windsor, whose outside run is set to be an important piece for Melbourne.
In Langford, Steele and Viney, the Dees have plenty of in-and-under players, with Windsor and Kysaiah Pickett's line-breaking necessary to complement them.
Matt Jefferson's overhead marking caught the eye, Jacob van Rooyen continued his strong pre-season by kicking the first two goals of the match, while first-year player Xavier Taylor's intercepting and composure also stood out.
Positively, small forward Tom Matthews, selected with pick 30 at last year's AFL National Draft, took part in the intra-club and showed his speed and power, having arrived at the club with a meniscus injury which interrupted his 2025 season.
Harrison Petty, Christian Salem and Changkuoth Jiath were among the notable names to miss the match.
