Defence barrister Ruth Shann told the County Court on Friday there had already been a 10-year delay in the case and Mr Milne was keen for the matter to go ahead.

Mr Milne is due to stand trial on November 24 on three counts of rape but he appeared briefly before Judge Michael Bourke on Friday.

Judge Bourke said he had recently taken over the case as the trial judge and had returned from annual leave for the day to be briefed on what was happening in the lead-up to the trial.

The case will return on September 22 for a directions hearing.

Mr Milne is accused of raping a university student, then 19, at a Highett home that was shared by teammates Leigh Montagna and Justin Koschitzke, after a St Kilda family day in March 2004.

Mr Milne allegedly branded two women "footy sluts" in the presence of a detective investigating him, but denied having sex with the woman who accused him of rape, according to court documents tendered at an earlier court hearing.

Mr Milne allegedly raped the woman, who was 19 at the time, despite her repeatedly saying "no", and that she thought she was with Mr Montagna at the time.

The two footballers and two women were in the bedroom at the time of the alleged offences.