Less than 24 hours after being belittled by Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne has lobbied the AFL for a priority pick in this year’s national draft.
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The Demons lodged an application with the AFL on Monday for consideration for a priority pick for the second successive season.
“I can confirm that the Melbourne Football Club has today lodged a submission with the AFL for special assistance under ‘Rule 19’ for a priority selection in the 2014 National Draft,’’ Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson said. ‘‘This is now a matter for the AFL Commission to consider and because of that, we won’t be making any further comment.’’
The Dees applied to the AFL last year for a priority pick, only months after being fined and penalised for tanking or ‘‘actions prejudicial to the interests of the AFL’’.
The 17 other club presidents unanimously resisted the Demons’ push for a priority pick, which was considered provocative given it came only months after the club was punished for deliberately underperforming in 2009 in order to secure a priority draft pick. The AFL Commission rejected Melbourne’s application last year.
The Demons have won just 10 games in almost three seasons. Despite a more promising start to this season in which they won four games to round 13 and were more competitive in others, they have now lost eight games in a row and have slumped to 17th on the ladder, above only St Kilda.
On Sunday, Melbourne lost by 64 points to 16th-placed Greater Western Sydney. The Demons kicked only three goals for the game and were held goalless for two quarters.
Early in 2012 the AFL changed its rules regarding the priority pick and introduced a more complicated formula that not only considered the number of wins in a season but also percentage, finals appearances and injury rates over a longer period. It is then up to the discretion of the AFL Commission to rule on a priority pick.
As it stands, Melbourne would receive pick two in this year’s draft and would be hoping to secure a priority pick after its first-round pick – and if not then after its second-round selection.
A first-round compensation pick would mean the Dees would have picks two and three in the draft.
Were they to also lose free agent James Frawley to another club without securing their own free agent then the Demons could conceivably end up with picks 2, 3 and 4 in the draft.
Melbourne has had five top-five draft selections since 2007 – Cale Morton, Jack Watts, Tom Scully, Jack Trengove and Jimmy Toumpas – as well as last year’s second pick, which was traded for midfielder Dom Tyson and pick nine, used to acquire Christian Salem.
Melbourne co-captain Nathan Jones said on Monday morning he was unsure whether his club deserved a priority pick.
“I don’t know. From my point of view, I haven’t even thought about it,” Jones said.
Coach Paul Roos said on Monday night he felt for the club's supporters most of all, and that he was failing them as senior coach.
Roos revealed he had still not spoken to the players since Sunday's loss, which he labelled the "most frustrating game I've ever been involved in".
"The supporters have been unbelievably supportive," Roos said on Fox Footy.
"We had 18,000 people go to the game. Their expectation of us as a team... I have to deliver a minimum standard for them to come and watch the game, and I think in all but three or four games prior to yesterday, I think we've delivered on that," he said.
"But they shouldn't have to come to the football yesterday and watch that. And I'm responsible for that."
With Matt Murnane
