Each AFL club has slightly different recruiting needs – maybe it’s a couple of tall defenders or a boost to the midfield depth.
Over the past few weeks, Melbourne have focussed on the one asset that has eluded them most.
Success.
As the Demons dream of their first premiership since 1964, they have targetted players who know what it takes.
Shannon Byrnes (Geelong) and Chris Dawes (Collingwood) played in premiership teams at their old clubs.
The trend continued at last week’s national draft.
Jimmy Toumpas was their first pick at No.4, while their No.68 selection was used for Dean Terlich.
Toumpas only played four SANFL games last year when he was a member of the Eagles side that won the premiership.
Early last month, Terlich won the Jack Oatey medal as best afield in Norwood’s SANFL grand final win.
“The idea of getting in players from strong organisations was certainly one of the targets we had,” said Demons coach Mark Neeld.
“We just thought across our list, it needed to be re-shaped.
“We went into it (recruiting) with a few goals and one was to get some people in from successful footy clubs, successful organisations, looking for the competitive type of people.”
Terlich caught the Demons’ attention well before his outstanding performance in the 49-point grand final win over West Adelaide.
A year ago, he was struggling to break into the Redlegs’ senior team after being on Sydney’s list in 2008.
But the forward reinvented himself this season as a rebound defender.
“We think he can play straight way, lovely skills and a player who has a history of playing well in big games,” Neeld said.
“We were sold on him, but if we needed any reinforcement, that (the grand final) was good for us.”
The Demons’ draftees also feature Dean Kent, who won the Jack Clarke medal as the best player in the WAFL Colts competition.
The midfielder hails from Clackline, about 100km east of Perth, a town which consists of six houses and a post office.
He can confidently lay claim to being the first resident from Clackline to join an AFL club.
“It’s all exciting – I’d love to have a crack at the AFL and here it is,” he said.
