FOUR choices inside the top 47 selections, including three in eight picks, is what Melbourne will have at this year’s NAB AFL Draft.

The red and blue will have its first selection at No.29, followed by No.31, No.36 and No.47.

The club will finalise its list on Friday, given it already has four rookies: Lochie Filipovic, Declan Keilty, Corey Maynard and Tim Smith.

In terms of Melbourne’s picks, the club has only ever had one player selected at No.29, Craig Walker, who was chosen in the first full National AFL Draft in 1986.

Walker was just 16 years old when he was drafted by the Demons from North Hobart. He was a star in Tasmania’s schoolboy carnival and later played reserves for Melbourne in 1988-89, wearing No.50. But he never played a VFL/AFL match for the club.

Melbourne’s only choice at No.31 was Haydon Kilmartin, who also hailed from North Hobart, and played in its 1991 premiership, before moving from the Apple Isle.

Although he didn’t play a senior game for the Demons, Kilmartin later played for Hawthorn in 1998, notching up 10 games. He also finished second in the Sandover Medal in 1997.

Three players have been claimed in the NAB AFL Draft by Melbourne at No.36: Jason Dullard (1991), Chris Johnson (father/son – 2003) and Rory Taggert (2011).

Dullard, who played under 19s and reserves with Essendon in 1991, wore No.61 in Melbourne’s reserves in 1992. But he didn’t play a senior match.

Johnson, the son of dual Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy winner Alan (who was Melbourne’s first ever pick in the first ‘forgotten’ draft in 1981), played 31 matches for the Demons from 2005-08, before adding 15 games with Carlton from 2009-10.

Rory Taggert was the most recent Melbourne player to be drafted at No.36. He didn’t play a game for the club, although he was an emergency in the final home and away round in 2013.

No player has been drafted at No.47 by Melbourne.

However, the following names have been netted in the 30s: Ricky Petterd (No.30, 2006), Jeremy Howe (No.33, 2010), Max Gawn (No.34, 2009), Jamie Bennell (No.35, 2008), Andrew Obst (No.37, 1987).

In the 40s, Jay Kennedy-Harris (No.40, 2013), Alex Neal-Bullen (No.40, 2014), Andy Lovell (No.42, 1986), Billy Stretch (father/son No.42, 2014), Colin Garland (No.46, 2006), Mitch Hannan (No.46, 2016) and Dean Kent (No.48, 2012) have been secured.

The likes of Stephen Tingay (No.50, 1987), Matthew Whelan (No.50, 1999), Neville Jetta (No.52, 2008), Matt Jones (No.52, 2012), Tom McDonald (No.53, 2010) and Oscar McDonald (No.53, 2014) have been claimed in the 50s – reinforcing that quality can be found down the track.

Given Melbourne’s list management/recruiting team – featuring Josh Mahoney (general manager of football operations), Todd Viney (manager of player personnel), Jason Taylor (national recruiting manager), Kelly O’Donnell (pro scout), Tim Lamb (national recruiting officer) and Darren Farrugia (recruiting assistant) and Todd Patterson (AFLW/NGA/Future Talent Manager) have done an outstanding job in recent seasons – they will be confident of securing players deeper in the pecking order.

But exactly who Melbourne selects with its first pick and ends up claiming with its four selections remains fascinating at this stage, given it doesn’t start until pick No.29.

Taylor has said that Melbourne will take 47 names into the draft, meaning a range of possibilities could occur.

Already Taylor and his recruiting team have landed some fine choices later in the draft or as rookies – think Mitch Hannan (No.46 in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft). Jayden Hunt (pick No.57 in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft), Oscar McDonald (No.53 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft) and Aaron vandenBerg (selection No.2 in the 2014/15 NAB AFL Rookie Draft),

The Melbourne recruiting team will again enter this Draft will confidence.