PAUL Roos has lauded Melbourne’s trade period as a success after it secured four midfielders: Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince and Viv Michie in the trade period and immediately after it concluded, Daniel Cross as a delisted free agent.

Although the new Melbourne coach said manager of player personnel Todd Viney and national recruiting manager Jason Taylor had already defined a clear strategy to attract midfielders before he arrived at the club, he added that Melbourne’s ability to snare four strong-bodied players in the engine room was a key starting point.

“Getting two older wiser heads in Vince and Cross and two younger ones in Michie and Tyson – we thought we had a really successful period. It ticked off the box we wanted to tick off,” Roos told melbournefc.com.au.

“We think forward and back we’re pretty good, we’ve got some good talls at either end. There are some other weaknesses in the list, but the real key focus was the midfield.

“We’re really pleased [with the trade period].”

Given Melbourne traded pick No.2 to Greater Western Sydney for Dom Tyson, Roos said it was important the Demons also secured another top 10 pick. In the wash-up, the deal also saw Melbourne gain No.9 and No.53 from the Giants in exchange for No.20 and No.72.

“Getting pick nine back was really important. The Giants were really terrific to deal with,” he said.

“There’s not too many win/wins, but I think it was a win/win for both clubs and we’re really pleased with that.”

Roos said the quality of players in the mix at pick No.9 was another exciting element coming up in Melbourne’s November recruiting period.

“Jase [Taylor] and the boys have done a terrific job and we looked at a lot of vision around that pick two to pick 10, so I think they’re (the recruiting staff) really confident [of gaining a quality player],” he said.

“Reading [what] other people [have said] and hearing [what] other people think about the draft, there are quite a few really good players from pick one to 15.We weren’t that worried about sliding down [the draft order], because there is a wide array of talent through that early area.

“Jase and the boys are really confident we can get a quality young midfielder at pick nine. From what I’ve seen and the vision I’ve seen, I think that’s right, which is terrific.”

Although Roos was eager to see his new recruits make an immediate impact, he was adamant the rest of the Melbourne squad needed to step-up significantly in 2014. And he was adamant his new-look coaching department could oversee the improvements.

“The main role of the senior coach and the coaching group is to make sure every player maximises their potential, so that’s the exciting part of what we’re about to embark on,” he said.

“We’re coming in with a bit of a blank canvass and the players have got no preconceived ideas, [and we’ve] got a whole new coaching group.

“I’m just really looking forward to seeing how the [players] work, how hard they train, how hard they work in the gym, who the leaders are and who drives the group. We need to see improvement in every single one of our players and that’s the clear job of the coaching group.”

Paul Roos on Melbourne’s four new recruits

Viv Michie (from Fremantle): “Viv’s a young midfielder. [Fremantle coach] Ross Lyon’s a good friend of mine and they didn’t want to lose him, but Ross and a few of the guys over there were really good at providing some information and an understanding of where he was at, as a player, so that was helpful as well. We think he can help in the short to medium term.”

Dom Tyson (from Greater Western Sydney): “I think Dom Tyson is an absolute star player in the making. But rather than us getting another 18-year-old on the back of Jimmy Toumpas, Jack Viney and Jesse Hogan, we probably preferred to get an older player, with some real special talents. We think we’ve done that with Dom Tyson. We think pick two is going to be a good player, but having a guy that’s two years older, and a bigger body and a bigger midfielder – most of the top end players in the draft are smaller mids. On the back of Jack and Jimmy last year, we need some size and real strength, so getting Dom was fantastic.”

Bernie Vince (from Adelaide): “Bernie Vince popped out of nowhere and we’re pretty pleased with [him]. Losing Col [Sylvia], and getting a compensation pick and getting a genuine midfielder back in for Col, [was important]. Certainly Col was a valued member and we were sorry to lose him, but I think he made the right decision to go to Freo and I think it was a great opportunity for him. He’d been at the club for a long period of time, so I think he made the right decision. Getting someone like Bernie Vince – just to bob out of the blue almost – was really good. He’s 28 and we’re a young list as well.”

Daniel Cross (from Western Bulldogs): “I spoke to Daniel Cross prior to the trade [period] and said ‘we think there might be a role [for you at Melbourne], but let’s just wait and see’ [until after the trade period and then it happened immediately afterwards as a delisted free agent].”