Melbourne will be very pleased after securing Harvey Langford (pick 6) and Xavier Lindsay (pick 11) on the opening night of the 2024 AFL Draft, helping "build underneath" the already star-studded list.
The Demons were disappointing in the most recent season after three consecutive top four finishes, which included the drought-breaking premiership in 2021.
However, with a cohort of players led by competition stars Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Max Gawn, Steven May and Jake Lever, there's no reason to think that the club can't contend in 2025 despite the ongoing off-field drama.
The introduction of Langford and Lindsay was the fifth time the club had selected prospects within the first 15 picks of the past three drafts, landing Caleb Windsor (pick 7, 2023), Koltyn Tholstrup (pick 13, 2023) and Matthew Jefferson (pick 15, 2022).
Melbourne National Recruiting Manager Jason Taylor said it was paramount that his team ensured the insertion of highly talented youth alongside the club's best players to safeguard the future and also contend for the now.
"There was a leaning towards wanting to build underneath, and the time was right, and with two blue-chip picks, we thought it was a good opportunity," Taylor said on Wednesday night.
"If you can get in high, you can get great players.
"We like to do that, we do it regularly, and we tend to think that if you're going to buy into the draft, it's good to get into the pointy end of it, and that can help you build for some success.
"And work through the trade and free agency as well to add to that.
"But the draft is something you can hit every year.
"I think if you can do both things on the run, and we're well and truly in the hitting zone with the age demographic of our list, so if we can add some really talented youth underneath, we'll continue to do that."
A successful blueprint in the competition is hitting all three player movement mechanisms regularly.
Geelong has consistently been able to add quality players through trade and free agency, as well as ensure they continue to compete in finals with the injection of youth.
Sydney has been the same for the better part of two decades, while Collingwood and Hawthorn follow closely behind.
On the flip side, North Melbourne has been able to hit the draft heavy in recent years but has struggled to lure established talent to Arden Street.
The Demons were in familiar territory during the 2010s, when consecutive failed seasons placed at the bottom of the ladder required assistance from champion player and coach Paul Roos.
The club has stayed competitive by adding talented draft prospects, ensuring a fairly successful period despite not regularly winning premierships.
