Jack Viney is yet to resume running as doubt grows on the Melbourne veteran playing this season.
The dual Demons best-and-fairest winner has been sidelined as his club pursues a special finals berth that seemed unlikely heading into this season.
Viney has been struggling with achilles and back issues.
The 32-year-old, who most recently played in round 24 last year, described his injuries as "complex".
But the tough midfielder is not giving up on returning this season, inspired by Melbourne's charge into sixth on the ladder.
"There's no timeline on it," Viney said on Tuesday at the launch of Melbourne's kids round.
"It's really a half hard one to say because I'm not back running yet, and obviously there's a fair bit of strength and conditioning that's got to go when I'm back running.
"Once that happens, we'll get a closer idea of how close I'm to returning."
Viney admitted it had been frustrating not knowing if he would be able to add to his 237 AFL games.
"I'm no stranger to injury, but they've been more of your broken bones, or ankle scopes, which once you have it done, it's a pretty clear and linear recovery back," the Demons vice-captain said.
"Doing an ACL or ruptured achilles is certainly a challenging injury, but you've got 12 months of rehab, whereas my process has been you don't know how long you've got."
Viney has relished the Demons' rise back up the ladder under new coach Steven King.
After missing finals the past two years and sacking premiership coach Simon Goodwin, Melbourne have been one of the success stories of the season.
Viney referenced pre-season predictions in a News Corp Australia publication to explain where the Demons have come from.
"I don't want to point anyone out, but I'm pretty sure there's a few people in the media who said we would be 0-6 to start the year, and we'd be probably bottom the ladder," Viney said.
"We've certainly proven a few people wrong.
"We've always had full confidence in the talent and the people we had at the football club.
"We've still got a long way to go in establishing what our brand of our football is, but to be where we are is a pretty good success at this point of year."
Coming off a stunning demolition of third-placed Hawthorn in Launceston, Melbourne face battling Richmond at the MCG this Sunday.
