THE INJURY-enforced absence of Melbourne's gun midfielder Clayton Oliver is developing more weapons for the Demons, coach Simon Goodwin says.
Oliver was among the Brownlow Medal favourites until straining a hamstring in round 10.
The dynamic on-baller is yet to return to full training after more scans this week revealed ongoing damage.
Goodwin hopes Oliver will be available to return after the Demons' clash against GWS in Alice Springs on Sunday.
"There's no doubt it's tracking in the right direction from a hamstring perspective," Goodwin told reporters on Thursday.
"But the scan did show that it was pretty much what Clayton was feeling, that he couldn't get to maximum speed because it still wasn't fully healed.
"He will train today ... we will try and pick up his max speed next week, which he needs to hit to be available to play.
"And we're hopeful, without any other setback and him continuing to feel better, that he will play the following week."
Goodwin said Oliver's injury had a silver lining by allowing the Demons to develop more midfielders.
"If you look at our last few weeks, we have been pretty strong through the middle of the ground," he said.
"It's a pretty handy player in terms of Angus Brayshaw that we can bring in to the midfield mix without Clayton, and also Tom Sparrow's ability to step up.
"Our clearance game and our ability to win ball through the middle of the ground hasn't been an issue in the last few weeks.
"It has been a pleasing part of our game that without Clay, other guys are able to step up.
"It's only going to serve us well when Clayton comes back, our ability and depth in the middle of the ground is only going to get better.
"When you lose a player like Clayton there's always opportunity, and through that opportunity we have found a few things."
Goodwin expected his fourth-placed Demons to be without Michael Hibberd for at least three weeks after the experienced defender suffered a lacerated kidney in last week's loss to Geelong.
"Anything that is internal, you have to take with a great deal of caution," he said.
"He will have no contact for a few weeks ... we're hopeful he will be back within three weeks but it could be four.
"It's incredible how he actually got through the (Geelong) game.
"It (shows) enormous courage to have a hit like that early in the game and to continue to play, and to play at the level that he did was unbelievable."
