Tough midfielder Jack Viney said that with several key players in career best form there was no reason the Demons should not be expecting to play finals.

After 18 months of waiting Christian Petracca will finally make his debut after recovering from a knee reconstruction.

In Saturday's game he will debut against Paddy McCartin, the player taken by St Kilda one place ahead of him in the draft. Many recruiters could not split the power midfielder from the power forward before the draft.

"I never thought the day would come to be honest," Petracca told the club's website.

"He (Roos) didn't really tell me I was playing. He told me there was no spot for me in the team and we were playing good footy, which is true to be honest ... he said '[I] know it's frustrating, because you've worked really hard to get into this position and you've had a lot of setbacks, but we're thrilled to have you'.

"Then he told me that I was playing and I can't really describe it to be honest – it's all a bit of a blur."

"It's built me some good form in the VFL and I've got my fitness better, and I've got confidence in my knee and my legs, so I'm really, really pumped for the weekend."

Viney said Melbourne's recent history was irrelevant and with the form they had shown this season – their only bad defeat was the loss to Essendon, the loss to North was by a kick – there was no reason they should not be in the frame for finals.

"I don't see why it's not achievable if we keep playing how we're playing," he said.

"If we can keep the team consistently performing how we are, I don't think it's unrealistic we find ourselves in finals at the end of the year."

He added: "Thankfully that Essendon game was a bit of a learning curve and we understand that we can't drop our guard for one second, it's quite competitive.

"We know our best football is up there with the best in the competition, but when we don't bring it anyone can beat it."

Viney's own form has been building since his debut but this year it has been elevated to the elite of the AFL. Last week he had a club record 23 contested possessions and is second only to Paddy Cripps for total contested possessions this season. The tough inside player is third in the AFL behind Sam Mitchell and Adam Treloar for total number of handballs.

Melbourne's consistency has also come on the back of teammate Max Gawn's elevation to All-Australian form. The ruck midfield combination is working so well the Demons have shifted to the top four in all of hit-outs, hit-outs to advantage, clearances and scores from clearances. They are top two in scoring from centre clearances and from kick-ins. These are figures on which Viney's ambitions for top eight are well founded.

Dom Tyson's consistent excellence and emerging players Dean Kent, Jayden Hunt and Ben Kennedy are all playing the best football of their careers to be competent role players.

Tom McDonald in defence with Jesse Hogan and Jack Watts in attack has meant Melbourne has looked more balanced than they have for years.

"(The difference this year) is just hard work, to be honest with you, over the pre-season we worked really hard on a lot of areas of our game, to make a more complete game style," Viney said.