Simon Goodwin has no doubt there is a role for Jake Melksham at Melbourne next year after the out-of-contract veteran continued his red-hot form.
Melksham, 33, kicked five goals as the Demons snapped a five-match losing streak with a 36-point win over North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
It is the second time in three weeks the 242-game forward has matched his career-best haul, and it took his tally to 14 goals in that period.
He has 25 for the season - second at Melbourne behind Kysaiah Pickett (30) - in his best return since 2018.
"He's going alright, isn't he? He's having an unbelievable season and it's a credit to him," Demons coach Goodwin said after the 18.11 (119) to 12.11 (83) victory.
"He's put so much work in and, at his age, to be performing the way he is ..."
Goodwin said Melksham had found his niche in helping develop teammates including inexperienced key forwards Jacob van Rooyen and Matthew Jefferson.
"He's doing an enormous job for us as a footy club right now in terms of not only his performance but his ability to mentor and help grow a pretty young forward group," Goodwin said.
"We'd love Jake to keep playing for as long as he keeps performing like this.
"He's an outstanding player and he's helping our young forward line so much."
Melksham was overlooked for Melbourne's drought-breaking 2021 premiership and suffered a serious knee injury late in 2023, which threatened his career.
But on returning, his form in the second half of 2024 earned him a one-year deal for this season.
"He's just got better as a player the older he gets," Goodwin said.
"He's a very smart player and in 2023 when that incident happened, his chance for success in his own mind was, 'OK, I'm not sure if I'm going to get an opportunity again.'
"But his commitment was to get back in the middle of last year and give himself the best chance, and again this year his form's been unbelievable."
Melksham looked in trouble on Sunday after high contact from North Melbourne defender Wil Dawson left him nursing a sore head and shoulder before half-time.
But the 33-year-old passed a head injury assessment and added four goals after the main break to help lift Melbourne to victory.
