Melbourne bad boy Colin Sylvia and injury-prone defender Jared Rivers are in line to play in the club's season-opener against North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday, Demons coach Dean Bailey said on Monday.

Bailey said Rivers would be among the 29 players considered for selection if he was able to prove his fitness at training later in the week.

Rivers, who has played only nine games in the past two seasons, injured his ankle in an intra-club match on February 14.

Melbourne steadily increased Rivers' workload during the pre-season.

The key defender played a half against Brisbane, 70 percent of the match against the Western Bulldogs and more than three quarters at VFL level at Casey on the weekend.

"He's gaining confidence by the training session which is fantastic," Bailey said.

"Down back we've got a very young list and a very young group of backmen and Jared adds a little bit of experience even though he's only 24 or 25."

Sylvia's fate will be decided by his form on the track, Bailey said.

Sylvia missed the Demons' final NAB Challenge match after being suspended by the club's leadership group for an off-field indiscretion.

"His form in the NAB Cup was OK," Bailey said. "I didn't think his form was brilliant in the other two games."

Bailey said three Demons youngsters Neville Jetta, Rohan Bail and Jake Spencer, who was under 'serious consideration', were in the mix to make their league debuts.

"It's going to be a really good selection this week," Bailey said.

"We're going to have to grind out 22 which is fantastic. Last year it was patch them up and put them out to play, this year they're a little bit further advanced."

"The games will determine how far we've come."