Melbourne look to have found another piece to add to their forward line selection puzzle after defender Daniel Turner led all goalkickers in Wednesday night's 43-point win over Richmond.
Drafted as an athletic defender with the final pick in 2021 Mid-Season Draft out of the Murray Bushrangers, Turner had played just three games at AFL level prior to his return to Simon Goodwin's side for Round 7.
The 22-year-old was initially expected to miss the opening half of the season after suffering a stress fracture in his femur in February, with Turner's rapid recovery seeing him line up for the Casey Demons in the VFL earlier this month.
Turner was used as a forward in his return game at the state league level and would kick one goal from 15 disposals and nine marks to show promise as an attacking option for Goodwin to consider.
Following discussions with assistant Greg Stafford, Goodwin recalled Turner to the AFL team after his only match of the year, with the Demons making "a brave call" for their meeting with the Tigers.
The move would pay off, with Turner helping spearhead Melbourne's attack on their way to securing a fifth win for 2024.
"We put Daniel forward in the VFL and we liked what we saw. We had a really good discussion about it this week," Goodwin said of the selection call after Wednesday night's win.
"It was about what are some of the attributes that he brings that could help us as a team. He brings an aerial game, he brings it to ground, speed and he had an impact tonight.
"For our coaching group, it was a brave call to make. We got our rewards tonight, but Daniel knows he's got a lot of work to do. He hasn't played too many games as a forward.
"There's still a lot of growth in his game, we're hopeful we've found one there."
Turner's place in Goodwin's forward line sees the young utility add athleticism to a front third that includes Harrison Petty, Jacob van Rooyen and Bayley Fritsch.
Having replaced veteran Ben Brown in the side, while Josh Schache and Tom Fullarton press their case at Casey, Turner now looms as a likely forward option at selection going forward.
The Demons could also call on former Adelaide attacker Shane McAdam for his first game in the red and blue after the high-flying forward made his return from a hamstring injury on Wednesday through the VFL.
McAdam kicked three goals and took two big marks in the 20-point loss at Punt Road to stake his claim for a Demons debut in the coming weeks.
"We think we've got a lot of guys who can play forward of the ball," Goodwin added.
"Shane McAdam played his first game at VFL level today, he's another that has an opportunity to come in and improve us as a footy team at some stage in the next few weeks.
"Daniel Turner has played one game [forward]. Ben Brown still does his job incredibly well for us.
"We're just open-minded to what it looks like. We've got a lot of depth starting to build in that part of the ground and we'll keep forging ahead to try and find the best mix in that area of the ground."
The Demons enter a critical period of their campaign over the coming weeks, with dates with Geelong and Carlton to come in their next two matches as they look to strengthen their finals prospects.
