Gawn backed to return for Demons against Richmond

He has been named in an extended squad, with fellow premiership stars Jake Lever (ankle) and Michael Hibberd (Achilles) also in line to return from injuries.

"He (Gawn) 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 are looking to bounce back from a shock loss to Essendon and have also added Luke Dunstan and possible second-gamers Bailey Laurie and Luke Dunstan to their squad.

Charlie Spargo (concussion) is unavailable, while Adam Tomlinson and Jake Melksham have been dropped.

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.

The Tigers added Jayden Short, Jack Ross and possible debutant Jacob Bauer to their squad, naming the trio on an extended bench.