Angus Brayshaw expects captain Max Gawn to resume his formidable partnership with Brodie Grundy as Melbourne seek to expose Richmond's makeshift ruck division.
Gawn has returned to full training this week after missing three matches with a knee injury and is firming for a return in the Monday night's AFL contest at the MCG.
"He looks like he's moving pretty well," Demons midfielder Brayshaw told reporters on Thursday.
"I hope he plays. He's been doing a lot of work, so his hand's up in the air, for sure.
"The amount of work he does behind the scenes is immense. He's a real professional. If it's possible then I'm sure he'll find a way."
A return of the Gawn-Grundy combination would give Melbourne a significant advantage against a Richmond outfit missing a host of talls, including first-choice ruckman Toby Nankervis (ankle) and key forward Tom Lynch (foot).
The Tigers turned to inexperienced duo Samson Ryan and Ben Miller to shoulder ruck duties in a loss to Sydney last week.
The inexperienced pair have played fewer than 20 games between them, while seasoned big men Gawn (183) and Grundy (182) boast a combined eight All-Australian blazers.
Grundy has impressed Melbourne teammates since his high-profile move from Collingwood in the off-season, particularly with Gawn out injured.
"Brodie's been awesome but together, the two of them, they'll actually improve each other and benefit from playing with each other," Brayshaw said.
"They've only played a couple of games together, so they'll continue to develop and grow, but I think it's a real competitive advantage for us."
Melbourne could also be bolstered by the return of Ben Brown (back), Jake Lever (ankle) and Michael Hibberd (Achilles) as they look to bounce back from a shock loss to Essendon.
Richmond are on a three-match losing streak and haven't beaten the Demons since the two sides met behind closed doors in July 2020.
