Declaring "nothing is off the table", Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin can see a role for ruck-forward Brodie Grundy in the AFL finals.
The plot is thickening in attack for the Demons, who fended off another outstanding challenge from Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday to win by 27 points.
The 13.9 (87) to 9.6 (60) win confirmed Melbourne's third-straight qualifying final berth.
Grundy was dropped for this game, and the Demons' forward stocks are looking stronger for the finals, with Bayley Fritsch returning from injury in next Sunday's SCG match against Sydney.
Tom McDonald also kicked three goals in the VFL to strengthen his case for a recall, while Jake Melksham had a strong game on Hawks captain James Sicily and kicked three goals.
Grundy has worked on his forward-line craft, with captain Max Gawn their main ruckman, and Goodwin said the former Collingwood big man remained firmly in his finals planning.
"He's in the same basket as everyone else," Goodwin said. "We've had some really strong conversations - and good conversations - with him. He's totally invested.
"Nothing's off the table ... for the next five or six weeks."
The Demons saw off the Hawks despite Finn Maginness shutting down star Melbourne on-baller Clayton Oliver for three quarters, before the tagger was moved into attack.
While Oliver kicked a key last-quarter goal, he only managed 14 possessions.
Oliver and his teammates were unimpressed with Maginness' attention and the two teams clashed briefly at quarter-time.
"It's nothing new for him (Oliver). Clearly Finn Maginness is someone who doesn't want the ball, so that makes it a bit challenging and a bit frustrating," Goodwin said.
"That's fine, that's the game of footy."
Goodwin's comment about Maginness did not bother Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.
"While Finn's shutting down opposition key players, he's going to be really helpful for us," Mitchell said.
Goodwin was rapt to overcome the undermanned Hawks, who lost in-form on-baller Jai Newcombe as a late withdrawal with hamstring tightness.
Chad Wingard and Mitch Lewis were also out injured, but the Hawks pressed hard until Melbourne kicked the last three goals of the game.
Goodwin said locking a top-four berth was important but his side had far bigger fish to fry over the next month.
"We want more, we're hungry and we're going to keep looking for ways to get better," he said.
Defenders Jake Lever, Trent Rivers and Steven May were outstanding for Melbourne.
Mitchell said Hawthorn tried several different things, including putting Sicily into the midfield during the second half, but ultimately Melbourne were too good.
"We knew we'd have to get a lot right today," he said. "We did pretty well to hang in there.
"We knew something different was going to have to happen and we just didn't have enough go right, often enough."
Hawks midfielder James Worpel had a game-high 30 possessions, while Henry Hustwaite made a two-goal debut as Newcombe's replacement.
