MELBOURNE midfielder Corey Maynard has been ruled out for the rest of the season after succumbing to a niggling hip injury.

The Demons have booked the tough onballer in for hip surgery next week, with the operation to bring his year to an abrupt end.

Maynard, who played against Geelong in round one but not at AFL level since, has been battling to overcome the injury since April.

Demons elite performance manager Dave Misson said it was disappointing to lose Maynard for the rest of 2018 after the midfielder's strong pre-season.

"Corey's been bothered by this hip complaint for a while now. We got him to have a chat to the surgeon who told us that the surgical option is probably the best way to go," Misson told the club's website.

"He's going to have an operation on that hip next week and unfortunately he's done for the rest of the year.

"We'll be looking to get him up for day one of pre-season."

Maynard has now played two career games, adding to the one he managed in round 20 last season.

The 26-year-old is tied to the Demons until the end of the 2019 season after first being signed as a category 'B' rookie following a promising basketball career, where he played in the National Basketball League for Cairns and Townsville.

Meanwhile, forward Dean Kent is just one week away from returning to the field after a hamstring injury has kept him out since the game against Richmond in round five.

Pat McKenna (hamstring) and Aaron vandenBerg (foot) are listed at three weeks away after joining in their second training session with the main group on Tuesday morning.

McKenna has not played a match for Melbourne, while vandenBerg's last game came in round 23, 2016 with a stress fracture in his foot halting the progress of his career.