Melbourne and Gold Coast have signed off on a swap of AFL draft picks that gives the Demons the third selection in this year’s national draft.

Melbourne swapped pick No.6, No. 29 and their first-round 2016 selection for picks 3, 10 and 43 in the 2015 draft.

“It was really important … this year we wanted to get to the top of the draft,” Demons football manager Josh Mahoney said from AFL House.

“It’s been a bit of a strategy for us over the last few years to have two picks in the top 10 – this deal secures that.

“It puts us in a really strong position to do something further in the last day and a half (of trade period) but also to get in some of the guys that have been spoken about at pick No.3 – they’re going to add to us whether that’s a tall or an extra midfielder.”

Last year, Melbourne claimed Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw at No.2 and No.3 respectively in the draft.

The Demons are understood to be considering highly-rated midfielder Darcy Parish with the coveted No.3 pick.

The Suns are happy to have spread their early picks across two drafts.

“The introduction of future picks trading has come at the perfect time for our football club,” Gold Coast football manager Marcus Ashcroft said.

“In a year where we’re set to hold a large number of early draft picks, this initiative has meant we have been able to spread the picks over two drafts, allowing us to utilise two first-round selections at the 2015 and 2016 drafts.

“Despite spreading our selection over two draft pools, we still maintain a strong hand at this year’s draft.”