Demons duo face fitness concerns

INJURED Melbourne pair Christian Petracca and Jesse Hogan will face final fitness tests tomorrow but have both been named for Sunday’s crunch game against St Kilda.

Petracca, who was released from hospital on Tuesday after having surgery on an infected finger, trained as part of the club’s rehab group yesterday but has not touched a ball since the Anzac Eve clash with the Tigers. Hogan was absent from training but the Demons say he is on the mend after suffering a rolled ankle and knock to the knee during last week’s 36point win over Essendon.

“We’ve certainly designed a program for Christian and for Jess to be available to play,” coach Simon Goodwin said.

“We’ve still got a couple of days in our preparation but internally and speaking to the players we’re confident both will play.”

Once feared by the Demons, Etihad Stadium has become a happy hunting ground.

After winning just one of 25 games between 2008 and 2016, the Demons have gone on to win four of their past five games there in a major turnaround and have scored 97 points or more each time.