Veteran Melbourne forward Tom McDonald has made a significant stride towards reclaiming his place in Simon Goodwin's senior side, turning out for the club's VFL affiliate on Saturday afternoon.
McDonald's appearance for Casey during their 47-point qualifying final win over Sydney acted as his first since May, with the 29-year-old strapped to the sidelines after sustaining a Lisfranc injury.
Having donned the Dees' colours on 202 occasions and slotting nine majors throughout their stellar September run in 2021, the key position threat offers Goodwin a sizeable frame to fit around the offensive ilk of Bayley Fritsch and Ben Brown before the cessation of the season.
Coincidentally, or not, Melbourne's speed wobbles and eventual parting with the minor premiership commenced the week after McDonald's foot complaint, with the forward tasting success in each of the first 10 rounds to start 2022.
While able to produce 1.1 in front of the sticks and find the ball 11 times, McDonald downplayed his impact post-game, stressing that he was better for the run.
“I don’t think I have set the world on fire today. The main thing for me was to get through a game of footy and see what happens,” McDonald was quoted by The Age.
“I have to perform to be in the AFL side, but physically I think I can do it.”
Throughout the first 10 fixtures of their premiership defence, Melbourne proved able to post an average of 93.8 points per week, however, in the 12 rounds McDonald has spent rehabilitating, this mean plummeted to 83.1.
Though the numbers stress that the veteran still has a role to play in Goodwin's side, the man at the centre of the selection quandary ahead of Friday's all-important final against the Swans stated that he wouldn't be twisting any arms.
“I had no expectation to even get back and play footy, so it is a win to play,” McDonald added.
“I’d love to play in the AFL side and I think the AFL team is good enough to go back-to-back so I want to be part of that but to be honest it’s a win just to be able to play footy again.”
With more than just a hint of sincerity, McDonald also divulged that a week off rather than a start against Sydney may prove the tonic ahead of an eventual finals injection.
“My body feels really good. My foot got a bit sore by the end but that was expected with the time frame [I am on],” he claimed.
With 18 goals and 115 points on the board during their rout of the Lions in Round 23, Goodwin may be loathed to alter a unit that appears to have hit its straps.
Still, should an itch need to be scratched, McDonald - along with Sam Weideman, Mitch Brown and first-year Dee Jacob Van Rooyen - remains waiting in the wings.
Across the course of Casey's barnstorming VFL campaign, Van Rooyen has split the big sticks on 33 occasions.
While able to find 13 goals throughout his 10 starts at AFL level this season, Weideman was deployed in the ruck and down back during Saturday's action, as Brown provided the lion's share of scoreboard nourishment, finishing the victory with five majors.