MELBOURNE may have that sinking ship look, but David Neitz won't be diving off. Not even as he combats a career-threatening injury that he has been carrying since last year.

Neitz, the Demons' captain since 2000, yesterday called on everyone associated with the club to hang in after five straight defeats to start the season.

The skipper will be relegated to an off-field mentoring role for the next two months as he rehabilitates his injured neck, but he is anxious to see that the club holds together in the crisis.

It is one reason he waved off earlier thoughts that he might retire after sitting out the second half against Carlton on Sunday because of neck and shoulder pain.

"That's for me, that's for our supporters and every Melbourne supporter out there, it's to stay involved," he said. "The club's not in a great position right at this point in time, but we will get better and we will survive and thrive in this competition.

"But we need all hands on deck at the moment, and that's what I'll be doing in the next eight weeks … getting into a position where I can get out there on the ground and help out my teammates."

Neitz, 33, acknowledges that he might not play another game of AFL football because of his injury, the symptoms of which he described as a "deep, burning sensation".

He was diagnosed earlier this year as having nerve damage around the facet joint in his neck, as well as some disc irregularities, after waking up one day last year with what he thought to be merely "a stiff neck".

It is the injury that will end the career of Melbourne's games and goals record-holder. But unlike Wayne Carey, or rugby league superstar Andrew Johns, it does not threaten him with permanent injury.

Thus, he is "99 % certain" he can play again, albeit not until late in the year. "As far as long-term damage, I'm fairly safe to get out there and play AFL footy, but it's just a matter of managing the pain."

There is no doubt he was close to quitting last weekend.

But a meeting with coach Dean Bailey and football manager Chris Connolly on Monday calmed him.

"I came off the ground against Carlton after just a standard tackle having that sort of effect on me, not being able to play the rest of the game. I wasn't sure whether I could trust my body any more," he said.

The results are quite sad. Neitz has kicked only three goals in five games; a power forward rendered powerless.

Before the injury, he was bench-pressing up to 140 kilograms. Recently, his numbers are 90 or 100 kilograms. "I've lost a lot of power. The nerves aren't firing as they should be," he said.

Melbourne still has not decided who will captain the club in his absence, beginning this weekend at the Gabba against the Brisbane Lions. Cameron Bruce and James McDonald, both prominent members of the leadership group, are strongly favoured. The coaches and the leadership group, including Neitz, meet on this today.

Bailey said whoever had the job would be in big shoes. "I'm not sure anyone can replace him because he's got unique gifts."

If Melbourne's application to place Neitz on the long-term injury list is approved, the Demons will have a spot on the main list vacant, with Sandringham's Shane Valenti favoured to step up. But Bailey said current listed players would be looked at first.