Jesse Hogan Biography

Jesse Hogan admits it hurt to see his former Melbourne teammates win a premiership without him.

"It definitely did hurt but I was really happy for them. I was at the game, and I was really happy to be there and to watch them do what hopefully I can get to do one day," he said.

Hogan says he believes his best footy is still ahead of him.

"I've had some good moments in games and some good games this year, but the consistency's probably still lacking a little bit. If I can link that together, I still think I haven't reached my ceiling, so it's really exciting for me," he said.

Jesse Hogan will play against his former Dockers teammates when he confronts Fremantle for the first as a Giant time since leaving the club.

"Jesse has got some close friends there, no doubt, so there'll probably be a little bit of niggle there, but that's what makes footy so enjoyable and so good to watch," GWS coach Leon Cameron said.

"He's looking forward to playing a strong brand of footy and playing his role for our team."

GWS coach Leon Cameron has backed Jesse Hogan to overcome a troubled stint at Freo and deliver in Sydney's west.

"I think he put his hand up at the end of the year and said, 'I just need to get out of a football fanatic state like Western Australia or Victoria' and thought his football might excel in a non-football-dominant state," Cameron said.

"He made that choice and we made that choice that we really wanted to give him an opportunity to see if his footy can progress. He wants to show the Giants and the footy world he can contribute on the field. You take your hat off to people that put themselves out there and that's what Jesse is doing."

The Dockers trade Jesse Hogan to the Giants for pick No.54 which the Giants had received from West Coast for small forward Zac Langdon.

"He's a mature hard running and strong-marking player who, at his best, can have a big impact on-field," Giants football manager Jason McCartney said.

"He's excited to continue his career with us and his commitment is a great endorsement for our club."

Fremantle agrees to trade Jesse Hogan to the Giants.

"Following a series of discussions between the club, Jesse and his management it was mutually agreed that it was in Jesse's best interests to further his playing career by moving away from WA," Dockers football director Peter Bell said.

"While it is disappointing for both Fremantle and Jesse that, due to injury and other factors, he was unable to play at the level we all know he is capable of, all parties agree that in Jesse's long-term interests the preferred option is for him to continue his career at a new club."

Jesse Hogan is fined $8,000 for breaching WA's strict COVID rules after inviting a woman to his home only hours after returning to the state in September.

The 25-year-old was serving the first of 14 days in quarantine when the incident happened, leading to him spending the rest of the time at a supervised Perth hotel.

Jesse Hogan is under police investigation after admitting to a breach of Western Australia's quarantine orders when he admitted to having a visitor to his home during his 14 days of isolation.

Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick said the club's players and staff were all aware of the restrictions they were required to comply with and Hogan would now have to face the consequences.

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says he will move Jesse Hogan to defence in his return game.

"He's committed to playing back. We're undersized in our backline, so he wants to do it and he's put his hand up to do it," Longmuir said.

"How long it takes to up-skill him to play in our backline, we'll have to wait and see. But he's had some minutes in the reserves today and executed some stuff pretty well, so we'll look at that."

Jesse Hogan takes his first steps towards a comeback from mental health concerns by joining his Dockers teammates in their resumption of training since the AFL's suspension of the 2020 season.

Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick is confident key forward Jesse Hogan will return to the Dockers this season as he continues his period away from the club to focus on his mental health.

"All we're worried about is his health and wellbeing and welfare," Garlick told reporters at the Dockers' optimistic 2020 season launch.

"The timing and the football element will be secondary to making sure he's in the right space. We've got to make sure Jesse is in as good a space as he can be to confront everything he needs to."

Jesse Hogan takes time away from football for mental health reasons.

"Jesse needs time away from the club so he can manage mental health challenges that he is dealing with and focus on his general wellbeing," Dockers general manager of football Peter Bell said.

"We believe it is the most appropriate course of action and, more importantly, it is what is best for Jesse's long-term health and wellbeing."

Rory Lobb believes he can form a dangerous partnership with Jesse Hogan and Matt Taberner after all three were restricted by injury in 2019.

"We've only played probably two games where all three of us are up forward, so we've just got to work on our connection, but that will happen once we're out on the track," Lobb said.

"We can all cover the ground pretty well. Those two are really good runners and I feel like I can run pretty well. It saves you running if you've got talls all around the forward line, you can stay off-ball a bit more.

"It's just finding that connection and making sure we're not flying on each other when we're down the line."

Jesse Hogan is hospitalised after being involved in a car accident.

Hogan was driving when his car clipped a parked vehicle at about 11am on Sunday, and another person subsequently called an ambulance as a precaution. However, no serious injuries were reported.

Jesse Hogan is at least two months away from returning to full training as the Dockers take a slow and steady approach with the big forward's recovery from foot surgery.

"I wouldn't put an exact timeframe on it, but we wouldn't see him in full football before Christmas," Dockers general manager of football Peter Bell said.

"He is up running on the AlterG (treadmill), which allows you to take some body weight off, so he's in front of schedule at the moment, but again, we're in no great rush to get him back.

"It's important we rehabilitate him conservatively and if that means we take our time, so be it."

Jesse Hogan is ruled out for the rest of the 2019 season and will require surgery for a right foot injury after reaggravating the navicular bone issue that saw him sidelined for the final few games in his time at Melbourne.

"He will undergo surgery and then undertake a recovery and rehabilitation program with an estimated time frame – at this stage – of 16 weeks," Fremantle general manager of football Peter Bell said.

"It was initially believed that Jesse had suffered an unrelated sprain in his right foot in our round 14 game against Melbourne, but subsequent scans and further examination by a specialist confirmed a recurrence of the injury to the navicular bone."

Fremantle defender Nathan Wilson says it's up to the players to give Jesse Hogan better service following the star recruit's recent struggles.

Hogan has booted just eight goals in nine games since crossing to Fremantle from Melbourne.

"He's come into a forward line that's young. Brennan Cox and himself have probably only played five or six games together, we had Cam McCarthy in there at the start of the year," Wilson said.

"It's obviously going to be tough as a forward. We're going to have to deliver the ball inside 50 a bit better."

Fremantle have been cautioned against using the term "clinical anxiety" in describing Jesse Hogan's condition.

The West Australian reported criticism from medical professionals about the original term, with one saying "clinical anxiety was not a diagnostic category and using the term could confuse people about mental disorders".

The Dockers subsequently removed all references to "clinical anxiety" in articles about Hogan on their website.

Dockers coach Ross Lyon says Jesse Hogan is getting the support he needs to deal with his mental health problems.

"Jesse needs support, and some professional support to work through and get him back available for playing," Lyon said.

"We're really confident as a club we can give continued support for Jesse and we really respect the mental health space."

Jesse Hogan is ruled out of Fremantle's 2019 season opener as he manages clinical anxiety.

Hogan missed a training session on Sunday after making "poor choices around alcohol consumption on Saturday evening" and won't face the Roos.

"The club has been aware of Jesse's clinical anxiety and has wrapped the appropriate support measures around him and will continue to do so," general manager of football Peter Bell said.

"Jesse continues to train very hard on the training track and he will continue to train with the team, but his clinical anxiety can lead to him making poor decisions around alcohol consumption and, therefore, impact his health and wellbeing."

Jesse Hogan says he chose family over finals by deciding to join Fremantle.

"To come from the bottom and see the list now and how close they are – or potentially are to playing in a flag or winning a flag – that was a serious factor going into this," Hogan said about his time at Melbourne.

"But I sat down with (Melbourne coach) Simon (Goodwin) at the end of the year, and had a really good chat about where I was mentally and where I was as a footballer.

"Obviously, I do want to play finals and play in flags, but at this stage it was more important for me to get back and be around my family and friends and have a fresh start."

Jesse Hogan is officially a Docker after a trade with Melbourne.

Melbourne agreed to trade Hogan and pick No.65 to Fremantle for pick No.6 and No.23.

"It’s been a traumatic three or four years, lots of things have been going on in his life, but for Jesse to be back around family and friends is nice," Hogan’s manager Matt Bain said.

Fox Sports reports that Jesse Hogan asking for an eight-year deal was the reason Fremantle said it was pulling out of the race for him.

Hogan apparently wanted $8 million over that time but it was the length of the commitment, rather than the financial terms, which caused the Dockers to baulk.

According to Channel Seven however, talks are still ongoing between Hogan and the Dockers.

Fremantle withdraws from its prolonged pursuit of star Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan saying they are not prepared to meet the Demons' asking price of two first-round picks.

"It became clear that what Melbourne would be seeking for a trade would not be possible for our club to meet," Fremantle head of football Peter Bell said.

"As such, we have informed Melbourne and Jesse's management that we will not be continuing further with the due diligence process."

Jesse Hogan moves one step closer to the exit door after touring Fremantle's facilities.

Hogan toured the club's new Cockburn complex with his agent Jason Dover and met with key Dockers officials as he contemplates a move back home on a long-term deal.

Jesse Hogan will decide if he wants to return to Western Australia before the start of the 2018 trade period.

"It's well documented the struggles he went through over the last 18 months and he's to be applauded for his efforts to be able to do what he's done this year," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"But he's at the stage in his career that he's got to think about what is the next phase for him, and he said to us one thing he wants to consider is, is going back to Perth a chance?

"He's going to take the next few days to think about that."

Retiring Demon Bernie Vince says Jesse Hogan should head home to Western Australia if it will make him happy after a torrid few years on the personal front.

"He's got to work out what's best for Jesse Hogan before anything else. His footy will follow that. If people are happy, they play their best footy," Vince said.

"He's been through a fair bit and through a lot of things that people never have to go through. He'll sort it out."

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin rejects the view that Jesse Hogan is surplus to requirements since Sam Weideman's stunning emergence in the past three matches.

Hogan has consistently been linked to a move home to Western Australia, and that speculation increased after his difficult experiences last year, including the death of his father and his own cancer scare.

"Jesse's a Melbourne person and a Melbourne player and we love having him at this football club, so that won't change," Goodwin said.

Jesse Hogan to miss the rest of the season after scans confirmed he had suffered a partial stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot during Melbourne's loss to Sydney at the MCG.

"It's just a crack so it's not disastrous. We caught it pretty early," Hogan said.

"The pain was hovering so it didn't crack all the way through thankfully so I won't require surgery or anything but it's enough to keep me out for the rest of the season."

Jesse Hogan says losing his father Tony to cancer has put life into perspective.

"Until something like that (the cancer diagnosis) happens in your life, you don't even really contemplate it or think about it happening to you," Hogan said.

"Up until then footy was not my life, but 90 per cent, if not 95 to 100, of the decisions I made were pretty much based around footy.

"So to have something like that happen was really unfortunate, but it allowed me to step away from the game and have a look at (what I really valued)."

Jesse Hogan says he is not actively contemplating a return to Perth ahead of his contract at Melbourne expiring at the end of 2019.

"I've lived here (Melbourne) for about six years now and I'd almost call it home," Hogan said.

"I still love going back to Perth obviously. But with each year I stay here, it's probably that little bit further away from going back to Perth."

Jesse Hogan is in career best form after seven rounds into the 2018 season, averaging 20 disposals per game and kicking 17 goals thus far while alternating between midfield and forward.

"His ability to get up the ground at times and have an impact on the game, but then also get back inside-50 and kick some goals for us, is certainly a hallmark of his game," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said of Hogan.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says Jesse Hogan can continue to develop as a player by having more influence in the midfield.

Hogan was dominant in the Demons 26-point win over the Lions, kicking five goals and taking nine marks from 22 disposals.

“Jesse has worked really hard at being involved in the game for a lot longer, not only as a forward but also as a midfielder, and it’s really added another string to his bow which keeps him in the game,” Goodwin said.

“Getting him up through the midfield and then releasing him forward again actually provides him with momentum to stay in the game."

Allen Jakovich, like Jesse Hogan, lost his father to cancer as a young man chasing his football dream outside his home state of Western Australia.

"I feel for young Jesse. I hope he runs out there and remembers his old man every time he does, and that will help," Jakovich said.

"It's sort of cathartic. (My coping mechanism) was wearing a black armband just randomly sometimes. I had to fib about it and say an old mate in Darwin or South Australia (had died), but it wasn't – it was for my dad.

"That helped me get through that. I just hope Jesse has got a lot of support there, even if he's got to jump on the plane every now and then … I found that helped, too.

"When I could, I'd get back to Perth and surprise mum and sometimes not tell her and just rock in through the door and spend the weekend. I think your family is the best thing you need at times like that, that's the most important."

Speculation that Fremantle is mounting a bid to lure Jesse Hogan to the club intensifies after reports emerge that Hogan had met with Dockers skipper Nat Fyfe in Perth this week.

However, Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney told NAB AFL Trade Radio that Hogan was off-limits.

"At no stage have we spoken about Jesse Hogan being a trade option at any point to any club, or even internally," Mahoney said.

"The year he went through this year showed great resilience. We can't wait for him to turn back up in pre-season and then really attack next year."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says the club is certainly interested in luring Josh Kelly to the Kangaroos.

The Roos' first attempt at the 22-year-old came five years ago, when they tried unsuccessfully to trade into the mini-draft that saw Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan join Gold Coast and Melbourne respectively.

"We would have taken Josh Kelly with one of those picks, so we've liked him for a very, very long time," Scott said on Channel Nine.

"We identified some midfielders we wanted to strengthen our midfield, because we have some really strong inside talent, but we wanted to get some more outside run – and, clearly, Josh is that type of player."

Jesse Hogan kicks a bag of six goals against the Lions just 21 days after breaking his collarbone.

"When I did it (broke the collarbone) I thought it was like a 12-week injury and I was pretty flat," Hogan said.

"I saw the surgeon the next day and he basically said, 'You'll be running in four days, playing in two weeks', which kind of surprised me.

"He (Oppy) happened to be a Dees supporter as well, so he was pretty keen to get me back out there."

Jesse Hogan breaks his bollarbone after being collected by a Luke McDonald bump in the third quarter of Melbourne's clash against North Melbourne in Hobart.

Hogan came straight off the ground before heading down to the changerooms clutching his left arm.

"We’ll rehab him as quick as we can, have the operation and get him back as quick as we can," Demons coach Simon Goodwin said.

"Obviously we’ll be guided by our doctors and the surgeon, so we’ll wait and get all the information, but I wouldn’t be saying it’s season-ending, that’s for sure."

Jesse Hogan will return to action for the Demons against Carlton just eight weeks after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

"Just to get him back around the football club with a smile on his face and get out there doing something that he really loves is a pretty special moment for him and also the footy club," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

"He is someone who can inspire his teammates. Jesse is a quiet person, but he is highly respected."

Jesse Hogan's surgery to remove a malignant testicular tumor was a success, with the Melbourne spearhead expected to return to the club in a week's time.

"Jesse's operation went extremely well. He's going to have another week away from the club, so we'll get him back probably the week after and then start getting him back into some training," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

"But he's really positive, he's in a great headspace and (we're) looking forward to getting him back around the club."

Melbourne expects Jesse Hogan to return from cancer surgery within the next eight weeks, but won't pressure the star forward to return sooner than he wants.

"It's an incredibly traumatic thing that he's gone through," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

"Obviously with these things it really is up to the individual, and we are going to put no pressure on him at all.

"He loves being around the footy club ... so I'm sure he'll be around quite quickly."

Jesse Hogan is diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Hogan will take indefinite leave to give him time to recover after having surgery to have a tumour removed.

Hogan is expected to make a full recovery and could return to football within two months, if his recovery goes to plan according to Melbourne doctor Zeeshan Arain.

"From a physical point of view of the operation and the recovery, we expect somewhere between four and eight weeks," Arain said.

"But we'll have to look back at how he's had an interrupted year from a conditioning point of view, and also his psychological state."

Sam Rowe has contacted Jesse Hogan in support of the young Melbourne forward as he comes to terms with a testicular cancer diagnosis.

Rowe beat the same form of cancer in 2012, only months after the Blues revived his AFL career as a 24-year-old.

"I have reached out to him and no doubt I'll have a chat to him at some stage," Rowe said.

"When I was in a similar situation, I felt it was nice to talk to someone who'd been through it, so I'll certainly be there for Jesse, if and when he would like to talk.

"I've spoken to a lot of people since who haven't played footy and I think the footy's really irrelevant at this time … it is important just to take stock and get on with it."

Jesse Hogan is ruled out of Melbourne's clash against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval this week due to illness.

Jesse Hogan is back training with Melbourne after being granted compassionate leave by the Demons following the death of his father Tony.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says some wayward behaviour by young forward Jesse Hogan has been put in perspective by the death of his father Tony.

Hogan was criticised for uncharacteristically lashing out and striking Carlton's Sam Rowe in round two, and then photographed smoking while on the two-game ban.

"Jesse's a terrific young man whose been going through a really difficult phase," Goodwin said on Friday.

"There's been a bit of heat on Jesse for a number of different things over the last four or five weeks that have probably been unfair.

"Hopefully now we get some perspective and can give Jesse some time to really get his mind sorted and back focused on footy."

Tony Hogan, the father of young Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan, has died after a long battle with cancer.

Hogan was a member of the 1973 premiership squad with WAFL club Subiaco and a teammate of former AFL commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick.

The Demons have confirmed that Jesse Hogan, who returned to Perth earlier this month to spend time with his father, will not line up for the Demons against Essendon this week.

"It's a very difficult time for any 22-year-old, going through what he's been through and coupled with that it plays out publicly," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"We'll gauge how he's feeling about it. It's hard to measure in terms of timelines."

Melbourne says it will support Jesse Hogan after vision emerges of the star forward smoking while at a music festival in Perth.

"Over the past few months, Jesse has been dealing with the deterioration of his father's health and the club took the opportunity, with him being suspended, to give him three days away from the club over the weekend," Mahoney said.

"He decided to use this opportunity to return to Perth to get some time away.

"Whilst we don't condone Jesse's actions captured in the vision, the club will continue to support Jesse through this very difficult time."

Jesse Hogan accepts a two-match ban for striking Blues defender Sam Rowe.

Jesse Hogan admits that the decision on his future took its toll on his 2016 season.

“It (the idea of moving home) became a bit bigger and a bit more… not realistic but… it became an easier option when it was getting a bit hard," Hogan said.

“I was getting a bit down on myself, and you start reading stuff… it gets frustrating.

“The hardest thing is that initial three to four weeks of playing a bit of bad footy, and then a few things back home.

“All of a sudden it started snowballing, and I showed it on the field; I had a pretty poor end to the year… I couldn’t quite get to the bottom of why that was.

“Now, looking back on it, it was a balance of everything, and probably my head space wasn’t there.”

Jesse Hogan says he won't overhaul his goalkicking routine to keep critics off his back this season.

"I go into games and obviously all the coaching staff know my style and they're aware of what I'm doing," Hogan told News Corp.

"If it was a big issue, then it would be changed. At training I'm generally pretty happy and most games I'm generally pretty good.

"It's more just when I do miss one and then it gets to me and it can snowball."

Hogan's accuracy dipped down to 55 per cent from scoring shots in 2016 – compared to 70 (44.19) when he won the NAB AFL Rising Star award in 2015.

"I'll work on (my goalkicking) this year and hopefully get my percentage up and go from there and it can be a thing of the past and not be looked into too much," Hogan said.

"You don't want to be that player that gets looked at every year for it. But sometimes that's just how it is."

Sam Weidemen say he is working on building chemistry with fellow Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan.

"I'm building a strong relationship with Jesse at the moment," Weideman said.

"We're starting to learn a little more about each other as the training sessions go on.

"Jesse really does pride himself on his contested body work and I do like to leap at (the footy) in the air, so we're trying to teach other in a sense."

Jesse Hogan says he is determined to have a good pre-season in preparation for 2017.

"Last year I came back a bit out of shape, so this year I'm in good nick and not having to worry about that is pretty handy. I'm able to focus on other things," Hogan told News Corporation.

"(Having finger surgery last year) hindered my physical activity and then it all kind of caught up to me and I came back a few kilos overweight and was running nowhere near what I was capable of.

"I was a bit behind the eight-ball and this year I really (placed) a premium on coming back in good nick and just being ahead of the trend."

Jesse Hogan signs a two-year contract extension to stay with the Demons until the end of 2019.

The West Australian was due to come out of contract at the end of 2017 and Fremantle and West Coast had been interested in trading for the tall.

"Melbourne is where I want to be. I really like the city and I’m really excited about what we can do together as a footy club," he said.

"What excites me about Melbourne is the young talent we’ve got. We feel like we are building something special and that’s something I want to be a part of.

"I didn’t really want all the speculation out there, so there is a bit of relief now that we’ve got it done and I can just focus on being a footballer again.

"Obviously a lot has been made of me being a Perth boy, but the club has been great in allowing me to head home when I can and that’s something that’s made my decision much easier.

"They’ve been really good with my situation and something that I am really appreciative of."

West Coast announce their interest in Melbourne forward Jesse Hodan and say that they have been pursuing him for some time.

"We've been in constant dialogue with his management over a long period of time. We've rated Jesse very highly from the time he was 16, 17," West Coast football manager Craig Vozzo told 6PR said.

"If that was an opportunity, it's one that our football club would strongly consider and explore."

Melbourne's new senior coach Simon Goodwin says he has a strong relationship with gun forward Jesse Hogan and is confident he'll stay despite the multi-million dollar lure from rivals.

Hogan is out of contract at the end of next year and has been linked to a move back to his home state of Western Australia, with Fremantle particularly eager to secure his services.

"One thing I do know about Jesse is he loves his teammates, he loves playing for this club and I've got a really strong relationship with Jesse," Goodwin said.

"We're going to work really hard to retain Jesse and we're really confident that he wants to be a part of the Melbourne footy club."

Melbourne skipper Nathan Jones has labelled the frenzy surrounding Jesse Hogan's future as bizarre, but he's not worried about the prospect of losing the star forward.

"I'm not worried at all one bit – from a player and personal relationship point of view – that he wouldn't stay with the footy club," Jones said.

"He's an integral part of our future and I'm hoping that he signs sooner rather than later.

"I think he understands his standing in our group and the importance of that."

Tom McDonald has denied he is putting contract talks on hold until the end of the season but says he's in no rush to re-sign with the club.

McDonald, who is out of contract at the end of 2016, also said there was no link between his own indecision and Jesse Hogan's pending contract status.

"I'm not putting off contract talks until the end of the year, or, as some people have said, waiting for Jesse Hogan to make a decision – that's not true at all," McDonald said.

"I want to focus on playing good footy and that (the contract) can be worked out along the way."

Melbourne coach Paul Roos says the club will not break the bank to retain forward Jesse Hogan.

"The reality is Jesse will get well paid wherever he goes because he's a high-quality player," Roos said.

"What we're trying to do is be fair with everyone. We believe if we can keep the group together, then you've got a really good chance to be a successful footy team.

"If you pay over the odds to one player – as this club's done before when we were under pressure – then it becomes really hard to assemble a good list."

Jesse Hogan says he went surfing during his midweek trip home to Western Australia and denied meeting with potential suitors Fremantle.

Hogan had missed the Demons' Wednesday training session to make a quick trip home to Perth between rounds seven and eight.

Brisbane Lions triple-premiership star Jonathan Brown called for the Dockers to throw the cheque book at Hogan with a massive $15 million, 10-year deal to lure the 21-year-old home.

Hogan was amused by Brown's comments but said money was not the priority in his decision-making about where he wants to play his football beyond 2017.

"It wouldn't be a bad pay packet, but it's just 'Browny' showing a bit of love to his fellow key forwards, I think," Hogan said.

"It's not my thought process at all. It's not really a money thing, it's just (about) where I want to be."

Melbourne coach Paul Roos says he has already seen a response from young forward Jesse Hogan after the rising star was criticised for his poor body language in the opening two rounds.

"I was going to have a longer talk with him, but after I saw him respond at training I was really pleased," Roos said.

"I sat him down briefly and I said, 'If you respond like that at training, and you train like that, come out and play like you train'."

Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has slammed Melbourne youngster Jesse Hogan, describing his body language as "horrific" in the Demons' 13-point loss to the Bombers.

"I've watched him live the last two weeks and his body language has been horrific," Lloyd said.

"He's being so demonstrative towards his teammates.

"He's getting out-bodied (in marking contests), but he's not even trying. He's either having a go at umpires or he's having a go at his teammates.

"It's (Hogan's body language) that drastic and another week or two of that and they'll have no alternative but to send him back to the VFL."

Bernie Vince says Melbourne teammate Jesse Hogan's call to put off contract talks makes sense.

"He's contracted for next year still, so I think he'd be silly to sign now. He loves it around the place," Vince said.

"(He) might be able to squeeze a bit more money out of the club if he has another good year, so I can see why he's done it.

"Hopefully he doesn't take any money off me though. I haven't got much left at the moment."

Melbourne skipper Nathan Jones says the talk around Jesse Hogan's contract has become "a bit of a circus" and he hopes putting negotiations on hold until the end of the season will allow the young forward to let his football do the talking.

"He's two years out from even being out of contract, so I think for him, it's just about getting out there and playing some good footy," Jones said.

"We haven’t seen the amount of scrutiny he’s copped with contracts with any other player in the competition, so it’s probably uncharted ground really.

"For him, it’s best for his frame of mind to be able to wipe it away and just concentrate on footy."

Jesse Hogan has put contract talks on hold until the end of the year.

Hogan is not out of contract until the end of 2017 but his future is already the centre of much speculation.

"We just felt that he has played one year of good footy and he is only young so he needs time to just focus on his footy and worry about contracts later," Hogan's manager, Jason Dover, said.

"The decision to put contract talks on hold has been made to allow Jesse to fully focus on the season ahead with the Melbourne Football Club and to play to the best of his abilities within the team.

"We felt that the ongoing speculation on his contract would not only be a distraction to Jesse but also to the Melbourne Football Club."

Jesse Hogan has worked on putting on weight in this pre-season to improve his contested marking but says it may come at a cost to his running.

"I'm working a lot more on my marking and trying to take it to another level," Hogan said.

"My running and strength is something I've been working on and I've put on a little bit of weight, so running with that is going to be a little different for me."

Jesse Hogan begins discussion with Dees on a new deal despite still having two years to run on his current contract.

"We have started (contract) discussions and we are not too deep into it," Hogan said.

"I have still got two years on my contract and it's not the most urgent thing, but I am open to it."

Jesse Hogan wins the 2015 NAB AFL Rising Star award.

Hogan polled 49 out of a possible 50 votes to win from Carlton's Patrick Cripps, who scored 41 votes whilst West Coast's Dom Sheed was third with 27.

In addition to the Ron Evans Medal, Hogan takes home a $20,000 investment portfolio from sponsor NAB.

Melbourne coach Paul Roos says Jesse Hogan's back injury that kept him from playing football for nearly an entire season could have actually been a blessing for the young forward.

"I think that's the biggest change I've seen in Jesse over the last 12 months - his attention to detail and his understanding of what AFL footy requires," Roos said.

"At the time, it was really, really frustrating for everyone, including the coach who wanted to see a good player play and hadn't seen much of him.

"But as it turned out, maybe it was going to be the best thing for him and it turned out to be, and we're really privileged to have a NAB AFL Rising Star winner and a worthy winner at that."

For Hogan, the season on the sidelines made him realise how much extra work the older players around him did to be fit each week.

"Most 20-year-olds that have never had a serious injury like I had until then, you see these older player with injuries and you think, 'I'm fine, I'll be OK'," Hogan said.

"To see that with the small off-field things, like I knew I could get a massage or go play a round of golf, the small things that at the time you don't think about, but they all seem to add up."

Nearly three years after quitting AFL football, former Geelong midfielder Simon Hogan is using his experience with mental illness to help others battle their demons.

The 26-year-old has now finished a science degree, majoring in psychology, and is working as a community engagement officer at national youth mental health foundation, Headspace.

Hogan is co-founder of a player driven initiative, Thick and Thin, that was launched in May earlier this year.

The initiative, which came about when he was approached by Old Scotch captain Scott Sherwen late last year, aims to create awareness around mental health issues among the 12,000 young men in the VAFA.

Champions of the cause have been nominated at every club in Premier and Premier B division this season to encourage conversations about mental illness.

"I think footy clubs are such an important area to approach mental health in a positive way, and to get young men thinking about mental health and what they do to keep themselves well.

"I think the fact that [Thick and Thin] is a footy club approach is very unique and it's just a powerful way of addressing the stigma that's still associated with mental health issues."

Jesse Hogan is the round 9 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after kicking 2 goals from 16 disposals and 8 marks in the Demons' 61-point loss to Port Adelaide.

Hogan's contested marking has stood out in his first year in the AFL, with the young Dee averaging the equal-second most per game (2.4) across the League, having claimed the fifth most in total (19).

Competitiveness is one of Hogan's most appealing traits as a footballer, which he owes to his brother, Jake, who is 10 years his elder.

"Ever since I was a little kid, having an older brother, losing was never really an option. It was never fun. I'm super-competitive with everything," Hogan said.

Melbourne captain Nathan Jones says he has never seen a young player dominate in the AFL like teammate Jesse Hogan.

"You look at other young key forwards in the competition, it's difficult for them to come in to the league and dominate games like Jesse has," Jones said.

"He understands the game, he's got that competitive edge and he's physically developed."

Jack Watts says having Jesse Hogan in the side will make the Melbourne forward line more enjoyable to play in.

"I love him," Watts said of Hogan.

"Everyone does. He's a big animal and when I get the ball and look up to see him in a one-on-one contest I've got full confidence to kick it to him.

"So going forward it should be a bit of fun I think."

Jesse Hogan makes his AFL debut for Melbourne at the MCG with 15 disposals (9 kicks and 6 handballs), 7 marks and 2 goals in a 26-point win over Gold Coast.

Melbourne fans had to wait until the third minute of the third term for Jesse Hogan to finally register his first goal for the club in his AFL debut.

Hogan finished the day with 14 disposals, seven marks and two goals, including an all-important major to seal the result in the final quarter.

Jesse Hogan will finally make his AFL debut for Melbourne against Gold Coast at the MCG.

"Jesse's done enough this pre-season and he played pretty consistently throughout the three (NAB Challenge) games so we'd expect him to play this week," Melbourne coach Paul Roos said.

Scans on Jesse Hogan's foot have cleared the Melbourne forward of injury.

The 20-year-old sent a scare through the Demons' camp when an opponent stood on his foot late in Thursday night's NAB Challenge game against Fremantle.

He then missed training on Monday as the club held him back until his foot was properly assessed to ensure there were no underlying issues.

Nathan Jones says unproven Melbourne teammate Jesse Hogan has immense potential.

"As far as a talent (goes), he's one of the best I've seen and that's why there's so much excitement surrounding him," Jones said.

"All we expect from him at this stage is to come out and play his role and just continue to learn as much as he can.

"I'm sure he'll do some pretty exciting things but as long as he does his role for the team, it's the No.1 thing for us."

Melbourne coach Paul Roos will get another glimpse of Jesse Hogan playing for the Demons in the club's NAB Challenge opener against Fremantle.

Roos has not seen the 20-year-old key forward play since a brief appearance in last year's pre-season competition.

"We're expecting him play his role, be in good form in the NAB Cup and hopefully get a game in round one," Roos said.

Jesse Hogan says he is injury-free and is hopeful of finally making his AFL debut in 2015.

"I'm just trying to make sure I can do everything right with my body now and I've just got to keep ticking off weeks and then before you know it, the games will come," Hogan said.

"The body's still feeling good … so I'm trying to get the best base possible and give myself maximum opportunity to play AFL football."

Chris Dawes says Demon teammate and fellow forward Jesse Hogan has the potential to be "a genuine star of the competition".

"The thing that makes me so confident that he's going to be a genuine star of the competition is that he's got that competitiveness, that aggression and willingness to use his body against big guys that you usually see key-position players take a few years to develop," Dawes said.

"He's almost got that innate in him."

Melbourne oach Paul Roos is likely to resist the temptation to call up exciting key forward prospect Jesse Hogan for his AFL debut in round 23 despite his side suffering a "tired" 66-point loss to West Coast.

"We can't afford to risk him getting injured," Roos said.

"He's had such a tough year. He's back training and healthy again.

"I doubt he'll play (VFL) tomorrow and it will be pointless playing him next week.

"For us it's like having a new recruit, which is fantastic. His body shape has really changed. Jesse will come back as a new recruit."

Jesse Hogan has endured a challenging return to the VFL but the Demons were pleased with his long-awaited first hit-out for the season.

In his first game in almost six months since suffering stress reactions in his lower back in a NAB Challenge game, Hogan moved freely but finished with only five possessions, two marks and a behind in Casey Scorpions' 27-point loss to Footscray at Craigieburn in windy conditions.

"It was just a good opportunity for him to get back out there and build on his confidence, so it was really positive," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"He moved well and it was good to see him get a few nice touches in tough conditions."

Jesse Hogan is poised to make his return to football for the Casey Scorpions in the VFL on Sunday.

Hogan has completed all of his necessary rehabilitation and the Demons are satisfied he is ready to play this weekend.

"Jesse's completed three weeks of full training and he's been recovering well from all those sessions," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"He'll continue to build on his training sessions tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday and if he gets through without any issues Jesse will play this weekend."

Melbourne has beaten off interest from cashed-up Fremantle to re-sign star young forward Jesse Hogan.

Hogan, who was contracted to the Demons until the end of next year, has signed a two-year extension, keeping him at the club until at least the end of the 2017 season.

The Dockers were prepared to tempt Hogan with a sizeable offer to lure the young star back home to Perth. It is believed West Coast was also keen to court the Perth-raised youngster.

"This year hasn't been ideal for me, not being able to play. I wanted to play a year first before making my decision, but with my back it hasn't turned out that way," Hogan said.

"The time was right just so I can get into next season with confidence, focus on the footy and not have my mind on what I'm doing at the end of the year."

Jesse Hogan will take another cautious step in his recovery from an ongoing back problem when he begins a low-scale running program this week.

"Jesse is essentially asymptomatic with his back, that's really pleasing," Demons elite performance manager Dave Misson said.

"We're looking to start running him towards the end of the week, so it's a significant step forward for Jesse and hopefully things will progress quickly from there."

Melbourne places Jesse Hogan on the long-term injury list, with the key forward still suffering from a chronic back injury.

"He's got 12 to 15 years of his career in front of him, hopefully, so we've got to be conservative," Melbourne coach Paul Roos said.

"(We have to) look after him and make sure he gets right.

"He got through the pre-season and the game and said 'gee, there's something wrong with my back'. It's really frustrating for anyone, but certainly for a young kid."

Jesse Hogan faces at least eight weeks on the sideline after his back injury failed to respond to treatment.

"He hasn't run for a week now. We're not going to push him now. We'll probably leave it for another week or so before he runs again, which obviously means it's going to be a lot longer than initially thought," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

Jesse Hogan has experienced a further setback in his quest to make his AFL debut.

Hogan, 19, has been nursing stress reactions in his back since the pre-season and is yet to return to full training, placing serious doubt on when he will play in 2014.

Jesse Hogan is still two or three weeks away from returning to football via the VFL as he continues his recovery from a back injury.

"I'm looking at two or three weeks training and then (coming) back to the VFL," Hogan said.

"I did my first session yesterday (Monday) and I'll run again tomorrow (Wednesday) and Friday and then progress from there.

"I've started to do weights and do more things around the club, so it's coming along well."

Melbourne say that Jesse Hogan is still a chance for round one after recovering faster than expected from a back injury.

"Jesse's back has settled really well and we're hoping he is able to run towards the end of this week and he'll potentially train next week," Demons elite performance manager Dave Misson said.

"We're not writing him off for round one either. But he's a young kid and we're not going to risk him with the injury that he's got, but he has settled very quickly and the doctor is very happy with him."

Jesse Hogan suffers a back injury that is likely to keep him out of the opening rounds of the AFL season.

Hogan damaged his back in a recent NAB Challenge match when a knee from an opponent forced him from the field.

Jesse Hogan is sidelined indefinitely due to a stress reaction in the lower back.

"It's difficult to put an exact time frame on his return because it's all based on his ability to respond to treatment and rehabilitation," Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said.

"Early signs are positive and he could potentially still play in two to three weeks or it could be longer; we just need to monitor him closely over the initial period and then a timeframe for his return will become clearer."

Jack Viney says teammate Jesse Hogan is ready to make an impact at AFL level after dominating in the VFL last year with 39 goals in 15 games.

"He's a massive excitement. Winning the best and fairest in the VFL last year as an 18-year-old is unbelievable," Viney said.

"I played VFL the year before like he did, as a bottom-ager, and I was nowhere near the kind of standard that he was at."

"To think about what kind of impact he could have at AFL level is exciting."

New Melbourne coach Paul Roos will travel to Perth to lay out his plans to boom recruit Jesse Hogan, his family and management.

Hogan is contracted until the end of 2015 and although Melbourne raised the prospect earlier this season of extending his deal beyond the mandated three-year period, it respected the wish of the Hogan camp to wait until pre-season was underway before considering that prospect.

Jesse Hogan's season is over after scans reveal bone bruising that will keep him out for up to six weeks.

"Jesse's scans revealed some bone bruising, he will continue to be assessed symptomatically [and] it is expected that Jesse will require four to six weeks to rehab from this injury," Melbourne general manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said.

Chris Dawes says teammate Jesse Hogan will be a player to watch when he become eligible to play for the Demons in 2014.

"Because he's so talented and such a competitive individual that there's going to be expectations placed on him from external sources but also internally from himself," Dawes said.

"As long as he can manage that then I think he's going to be a super player."