MELBOURNE is hopeful it can secure Adelaide duo Bernie Vince and Jarryd Lyons via the Gillette AFL trade period.

Manager of football operations Josh Mahoney confirmed on 5AA that the Demons had set their sights on the midfielders.

“We see him (Vince) as a big bodied midfielder. We lost Colin Sylvia through free agency – he’s about the same age as Bernie and plays a similar role. That’s when we started to get really interested,” he said.

“We met with him [last] Friday and he was going overseas and we just thought if anything was to happen in the next few weeks, it was important that we spoke to him and [had a] medical [assessment with] him, before he went away and that’s where we’re at.

“Now it’s a conversation between the Crows and Bernie and the Crows and ourselves, and if we can get a deal done and Bernie’s happy to come to Melbourne, hopefully that’ll eventuate.”

Mahoney added that the Demons have yet to offer a deal to Vince, who won Adelaide’s best and fairest in 2009 and has played 129 matches since 2006.

Mahoney said Lyons, who has played 12 matches since 2012, including nine this year, was an emerging player.

“Jarryd is a player of interest for us. He falls into the category of a number of players that we’ve looked at. We’ve interviewed a range of players through our midfield and when he’s played at AFL level, he’s looked really good,” he said.

“He’s had some really good form at Glenelg and again, it’s a situation that with every deal to get done, there’s three parties that have to agree to it – the Crows in this situation, ourselves and the player.

“If it all works out well, the deal is done and if not, he’s very happy to stay at Adelaide and we’ll pursue more.”

Meanwhile, Mahoney said there were “four or five” clubs still interested in Melbourne’s pick No. 2.