Former Gold Coast and Fremantle midfielder Harley Bennell is set to kickstart his stalled AFL career at a third club, with Melbourne confirming their interest in signing him.

Bennell, selected with the No.2 pick at the 2010 draft by the Suns, has been plagued by calf injuries and was cut by the Dockers after managing just two games in four seasons for the WA club.

The 27-year-old also had his share of off-field issues as a younger man with Gold Coast, but is understood to have matured significantly.

He has been restricted to just 83 career games, but has undergone two bouts of calf surgery this year in a bid to convince an AFL club to throw him a lifeline, with Geelong and Sydney also reported to be interested.

“As a club, we have to look at every opportunity to make our list better, and Harley Bennell’s obviously a very talented player,” Demons football chief Josh Mahoney said on Tuesday.

“There are a lot of things we have to discuss, and those conversations involve our coaches, our performance staff, our doctors … it really is a club decision.

“We’re trying to get as much information as we can from Harley – where his injury is at currently, what the plan looks like for him moving forward and what the opportunities are for him to get back to playing AFL football.”

Clubs can sign Bennell, who parted ways with Fremantle mid-season, as a delisted free agent or via the pre-season supplemental selection period.