Interrupted ... Mitch Clark plays for Casey after an injury-hit pre-season. Source: Michael Klein / News Limited
Melbourne faces tough decisions on million-dollar forwards Mitch Clark and Chris Dawes this week after they combined for just 100 minutes of football in the pre-season.
Coach Mark Neeld will have to decide whether to risk both against Port Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday.
Dawes, who signed a $500,000-a-year contract to move from Collingwood, played 32 minutes in the shortened NAB Cup game against North Melbourne before being substituted because of calf soreness.
He missed the rest of the NAB Cup with a hamstring problem.
While he has trained strongly in the lead-up to round one, Dawes will not have played for five weeks.
Clark has been steadily building after a foot fracture and played three-and-a-half quarters for Casey in the VFL on Saturday.
Co-captain Jack Trengove (foot) also returned in the VFL on Saturday.
Football manager Josh Mahoney said Neeld would weigh up all the information on the trio in the lead-in to round one.
"It'd be hard to put a percentage (on it). Both of (Trengove and Clark) would be a chance," he said.
"(Dawes) will train fully (this) week, and again we'll consider him if he's ready to go."
Highly rated midfield draftees Jack Viney and Jimmy Toumpas should make their debuts.
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