GENERAL manager of football operations Josh Mahoney says Melbourne achieved its objectives in the trade period, netting the three players it targeted and gaining two top 10 draft picks.
Speaking to Dee TV after Melbourne had completed its trades, Mahoney said it was a strong outcome for the club.
“In the end, we set out with a couple of objectives in the trade period. Number one was to bring in the three players we targeted through this period and we were able to do that and [we were] also able to improve our draft position,” he said.
“In the end, we achieved both of those and it was a really good result.”
Mahoney praised the Melbourne list management and recruiting team on its efforts.
“The trade period for 10 days is the result of a lot of hard work that’s done during the year,” he said.
“The work done by Kelly O’Donnell, our pro scout, along with Jason Taylor in recruiting and Tim Lamb and Darren Farrugia in recruiting, and Todd Viney in his role – it’s all about getting as much information throughout the year on any potential players.
Mahoney said the club had earmarked Tomas Bugg (Greater Western Sydney), Ben Kennedy (Collingwood) and Jake Melksham (Essendon) long before the trade period.
“They were in a group of players we looked at and all three of them fitted into an age bracket that we haven’t got a lot of players on our list – between 21 and 24 years of age – so they all fit into that category,” he said.
“But the most important thing is that they all have one thing and that’s they’re competitive players. That’s what we think we need to continue to bolster [our list].
“We’ve been able to do that through the draft with the players we’ve brought in and that’s been a key characteristic and we have to make sure we do that as well.
“There were stages through the trade period where we probably thought we wouldn’t be able to get all three in, but the way it worked out was very good.”
Mahoney said to have four picks inside the top 50 was important to add to the emerging group.
“We think now we’ve put together a really good crop of young players and to be able to bring in [picks] three and seven and add them to the young players we’ve already got to our list – there could be eight to 10 potential real A-grade young players,” he said.
Mahoney said the club was also pleased to add Joel Smith – the son of former Kangaroo and Demon Shaun – as a non-registered three-year player. Smith has been added to the club’s category B rookie list.
“A category B [rookie] gives you an opportunity to bring someone straight onto your list,” he said.
“Again, this is not a split second decision – there has been a lot work that’s been done into Joel and we’ve followed him for the past 18 months.
“We were really keen to add him to the list and we were really keen to put him on the list. He’s got some great athletic attributes and he’s played a lot of footy as a junior and to be able to bring him on and give him some development – hopefully he can develop into an AFL player and that’d be a real bonus for us.”
