The big power forward is still only in rehabilitation running and was not sighted at a full-scale Demons intra-club practice game at Casey Fields in Melbourne on Friday.
Clark is recovering from a serious foot injury that kept the big scoring force sidelined for the entire second half of last season, his first at the Demons after a highly controversial trade switch from Brisbane in late 2011.
Some alarming estimates have projected that Clark might not play until Round 6 against Carlton at the MCG after the big-marking goal avenue misses all April appointments.
He was an almost lone star to launch his Demons career last season when Clark hammered home 29 goals from just 11 outings as his new club won just two of their first 12 games.
Clark booted 61 goals in 82 games with Brisbane before his highly public switch to the Demons on a big and lengthy contract at the end of 2011.
Clark, 25, looks certain to join co-captain Jack Trengove on the sidelines for crucial early Demons engagements as the nippy on-baller also recovers from on-going foot problems.
Trengove, 21, is also still in a limited running and skills program and also missed the practice game action.
The Demons join summer series NAB Cup action in the second week of triangular games against North Melbourne and Richmond next week, before confronting Port Adelaide at Renmark in South Australia’s Riverland district and finish off the pre-season commitments by hosing St Kilda at Casey Fields on March 9.
Ironically, the Demons kick start their 2012 premiership home-and-away campaign with a second shootout against Port in a little more than a month at the MCG on Easter Monday.
In a rostering bonus for the rebuilding Demons they have nine of their first 11 qualifying engagements at the “G”.
A week after a potential first-up victory over another potential cellar dwellar in Port, the Demons confront beleaguered Essendon then West Coast before hosting Greater Western Sydney and a trip to Brisbane for the Lions at the Gabba on April 28.
The Demons got early notice of possible vital contributions from two-times Geelong premiership forward recruit Shannon Byrnes with his four goals in the first half in a lively scratch match display.