MELBOURNE has used its third selection in the 2019 National Draft to secure versatile defender Trent Rivers.

The 18-year-old had his name called out with pick No.32 at Marvel Stadium, officially becoming a Demon on Thursday night.

Rivers is a Western Australian who played his junior footy at the Eastern Fremantle Sharks – the same club as Melbourne’s top draftee Luke Jackson.

National Recruiting Manager Jason Taylor is excited by what Rivers has to offer, with his raw pace and elite ball use set to hold him in good stead at AFL level.

“Trent’s a strong, powerful player with an ability to play in all areas of the ground,” Taylor told Melbourne Media.

“He represented Western Australia as a rebounding defender, but he also played a fair bit of WAFL cults footballer as a midfielder.

“He’s an exciting player who can provide run off half-back, so we’re really looking forward to watching him develop.”

Rivers is the third player to join the red and blue during this year’s draft, after Jackson (pick No.3) and Kysaiah Pickett (pick No.12) were recruited to the club on Wednesday night.