AFLW star Tayla Harris is fit and ready to bolster Melbourne's premiership push this season on return from injury, teammate Kate Hore says.
Harris is on track to play in the round-one clash with the Western Bulldogs next month, having endured a horror run of shoulder setbacks over the past two years.
The 28-year-old ruck-forward hurt her left shoulder in round one last season and underwent surgery, missing the rest of the campaign.
The Demons, semi-finalists the previous year, missed the top eight in her absence.
But Harris is expected to feature in a pair of pre-season hit-outs in the coming weeks after showing promising signs in a VFLW fixture on June 28.
Playing with Melbourne's VFLW affiliate Casey, Harris kicked 1.2 and took eight marks in a win over Essendon.
It gave Demons leader Hore cause for optimism that her 2022 premiership teammate will hit the ground running when the new AFLW season starts.
"Tay's been great, she's had a ripper off-season," Hore said.
"Obviously coming off the shoulders ... she's been firing, she's been training the house down.
"She played a VFLW game and got through the full game, so she's just loving her footy and we can't wait to see her attack this year."
Hore was among a group of Melbourne players who travelled to Wellington for an off-season training camp and has been buoyed by the arrival of fresh-faced draftees Molly O'Hehir (No.3), Maggie Mahony (No.21) and Amelia Dethridge (No.63).
The 30-year-old forward expects the Demons to be challenging the likes of reigning premiers North Melbourne and perennial flag contenders Brisbane and Adelaide this year.
"We've had a pretty intense training block over the last couple of weeks and we've just come off a four-day break, so we're feeling really refreshed after that," Hore said.
"Now the fun part starts and we're just counting down the days really.
"We've brought in three amazing new young kids, all 18-year-olds, they're keeping me young for sure.
"We're really excited about where our game's going to be this year."
Melbourne will again be led by long-time coach Mick Stinear, who inked a new one-year deal in November.
Stinear is one of just two remaining coaches from the inaugural AFLW season, along with Brisbane's Craig Starcevich.
