Training form at the club's main session on Thursday will have a huge bearing on the make-up of the Melbourne side for Sunday's clash with Richmond at the MCG, according to senior coach Dean Bailey.

There are five Demons who will need to pass fitness tests on Thursday to be considered for selection - Jack Grimes (back), Kyle Cheney (calf), Liam Jurrah (ankle), Brock McLean (knee) and James Frawley (ankle).

As well there's Colin Sylvia who's apparently not a walk-up start to play coming off a three-week suspension.

"Training tomorrow is going to be really important, our last final training session - it's a test," said Bailey at the Junction Oval on Wednesday.

"They've got to get through the main session where there'll be some tackling and some pressure to see how they can handle it."

Bailey described Jurrah's ankle injury picked up against the Swans in Canberra last Sunday as 'not bad' but, reading between the lines, the 20-year-old Northern Territorian is likely to be rested.

"We'll see how 'L.J.' goes tomorrow but he's rolled both ankles in the last couple of weeks," said Bailey.

"He's a pretty important player for us at the moment and he's had a long season with no pre-season."

Bailey said the Demons are not discounting the prospect that Richmond star Matthew Richardson - who's set to return to action this weekend for his first match following surgery to reattach a hamstring tendon - will play in the seniors rather than the VFL.

He said the Demons will draw some confidence from the club's eight-point win over Richmond in Round 4 while being mindful that Ben Cousins, the Tigers' most influential player in last Sunday's upset win over Essendon, was sidelined that day with a torn hamstring.

"Ben was very good last week, (Brett) Deledio was good, (Trent) Cotchin's ball-handling was very good and (Jack) Riewoldt up forward, for a young guy to mark the ball as often as he did was terrific," said Bailey.

"Mitch Morton, his mobility was fantastic and (Robin) Nahas out of the VFL shows that if you've got enough desire you can make the grade, so there's a lot more than one player playing."

"Ben's been very good so it's going to be a tough assignment on Sunday - their midfield's working pretty well and they've got a bit of confidence the Tiges, so it should be a good game."