Injured Melbourne recruit Ben Brown will miss at least the first month of the AFL season as he recovers from knee surgery.
The former North Melbourne spearhead had an arthroscope after noticing swelling in his troublesome left knee before a training session last week.
Demons football performance boss Alan Richardson confirmed Brown will not debut for his new club until between rounds four and six.
"It will depend a little bit on how he responds to his program," Richardson told SEN.
Brown's absence combined with a leg stress fracture to Sam Weideman is a major blow to Melbourne's forward stocks.
"(Weideman) just kept getting sorer in the top part of his thigh so we presumed it was actually a hip," Richardson said.
"He went in for X-rays and it ended up being a crack in his femur, so an unusual one."
Although the dual losses are a concern for the Demons, Richardson believes young tall Luke Jackson and Tom McDonald can step up to the fill that void.
The injury setbacks are a reason why Melbourne have targeted former North Melbourne cult hero Majak Daw.
Believing he was finished at AFL level after being delisted by the Kangaroos in September, Daw signed with suburban club North Heidelberg for 2021.
But the Demons have invited the 29-year-old to train with them to try and secure one of two available places on their rookie list.
Even though Daw played his best football as a defender, Melbourne believe he can play a role up forward.
"We really needed someone that we think is a chance to play for us early," Richardson said.
"We think Majak has the attributes to support us in a couple of areas ... he's kicked six goals in an AFL game before.
"But if it is that we get (more) injuries, he's probably the person that we would be the most ready to be AFL fit at the start of the year."
Daw's comeback to an AFL field was one of the most inspiring moments of last season when he played his first match since suffering serious hip and pelvic injuries in a fall from the Bolte Bridge in December 2018.
The Demons did consider former No. 1 draft pick Paddy McCartin but Richardson said there are still concerns about the former St Kilda forward's long-term health due to a history of head knocks.