Players who nearly signed with, or it was suggested would join Melbourne but never did.
Player | Year | Notes
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Lloyd Jones | 1930 | Stawell player who joined St Kilda after having discussions with Melbourne.
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R Whiting | 1931 | Applied for a clearance but was tied to Geelong based on a new ruling that affected him as he had been a boarder at Geelong College.
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Ron Shapter | 1931 | South Melbourne player who Melbourne denied they'd tried to poach, suggesting he had turned up to training on his own accord and had been sent away.
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Edward Greeves | 1932 | First winner of the Brownlow Medal who applied for a clearance but was denied and sat out of football in 1932.
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Les Hardiman | 1932 | Geelong player who remained with his original side until 1937
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Law | 1932 | 100 goal kicker in the 1931 amateurs who was expected to play for Melbourne but did not.
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George Bell | 1933 | Horsham full back who joined Essendon instead.
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Phonse Kyne | 1933 | Collingwood champion who was ignored when he tried out for Melbourne, then played 245 games for Collingwood
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GB Johnson | 1933 | Recruiting target from Glenelg who opted to stay in South Australia as he believed he wouldn't win a clearance.
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McCaffery | 1933 recruiting target who lived in St Kilda's recruiting district. They refused him a clearance to Melbourne.
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Bruce Andrew | 1934 | Collingwood wingman and club vice-president who was pursued after not making the Magpies' final list in 1934. He did not join and eventually played four games with Collingwood that year.
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Roy Burt | 1934 | Declined an offer to join and stayed in Leeton
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Bert Hyde | 1934 | Hawthorn player who applied for a clearance but was persuaded to stay at his original club
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Denis Ryan | 1934 | Pursued by Melbourne while playing in Albury but joined Fitzroy the next year.
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Palmer | 1935 | Brunswick player who applied for a clearance but was refused by his club
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Jack Bissett | 1937 | From South Melbourne
|
Bob Chitty | 1936 | From Sunshine
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Arthur Timms | 1936 | From Sunshine
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Jack Lowry | 1937 | Residentially tied to Melbourne in 1937 but allowed to join St Kilda in exchange for the rights to Bill Pearson
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J. Ashdown | 1937 | Champion schoolboy who attended a pre-season training night but did not train
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Hec Downing | 1937 | From RushworthGeorge Bates | 1937 | Northcote player that Melbourne tried to sign during his Collingwood career, then again in 1937
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Jack Whitehead | 1937 | Prahran player who opted to stay in the VFA
|
William Johnson | 1937 | Prahran player who opted to stay in the VFA
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H. Crane | 1938 | New South Wales player sought by Melbourne but remained with St George
|
D. Robbie | 1938 | Attended training in June 1938 but did not participate. Backman from Woodend |
Player | Year | Notes
|
Cec Hiscox | 1941 | Applied for a clearance from Northcote ibut didn't train with Melbourne and returned to his old club, where he stayed until 1951.
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Jack Hill | 1941 cricketer sought by Melbourne and Richmond
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Tom Arklay | 1943 | Applied for a clearance to Melbourne in mid-season but later returned to Geelong
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Jack Danckert | 1943 | Ruckman recommended by Jack Mueller but joined South Melbourne instead, playing 13 games.
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Emrys Owen | 1944 | Ruckman from Newtown, Sydney who received an offer for 1944 but does not appear to have joined the club.
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Bill Farrell | 1945 | Appointed coach of the seconds 'subjected to approval of the MCC' but didn't take up the role (Age 02/04/1945)
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Norman Minns | Around 1946 | Pursued by a number of clubs but residentially tied to Collingwood who would not clear him. Played for Howlong in 1946.
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J. Shellcot | 1946 | Sought clearance. Original club unknown.
|
Norman Armstrong | 1947 | Braybook rover who Melbourne applied Footscray to clear. Result of request unknown.
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Max Currie | 1947 | Richmond beat Essendon and Melbourne to his signature
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Jim Thoms | 1947 | Melbourne sought to interview the Footscray rover in 1947 after 127 VFL games. They did not sign him and he never played another match.
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Reg Parker | 1947 | Sandringham rover who stayed with his old side
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Merv Laffey | 1947 | Footscray player who applied for clearance but stayed at his original club until 1952.
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Ivan Goodingham | 1948 | Essendon follower who expressed a desire to play for Melbourne but didn't join
|
Jack Collins | 1948 | Fitzroy forward who the Demons were refused permission to interview
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Stan Tomlins | 1948 | Sandringham player who was pursued by both Melbourne and Richmond before crossing to the Tigers without a clearance.
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Max Rees | 1948 | Recruiting target from Tasmania after winning the Best and Fairest in the Tasmanian amateurs and captaining the Australian Amateurs in an interstate carnival
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Tim Robb | 1948 | Footscray rover refused permission to talk with Melbourne
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John Hawkesley and John Leedham | 1949 | North Launceston players Melbourne wooed at the end of the season
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Duncan Anderson | 1949 | Schoolboy who kicked 24 in a match for Melbourne Grammar in 1949 and was said to want to play for Melbourne despite being residentially bound to St Kilda.
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Jack Sales | 1949 | Collingwood wingman. Melbourne applied for permission to interview him in November 1949.
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G. Goninon | 1949 | Essendon forward
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K. Newton | 1949 | Essendon forward
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Harold Shillinglaw | 1949 | Fitzroy half-forward
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Peter Box | Late 1940s | Melbourne had a chance to sign him but he went to Footscray. Said that Alex Gray sent Ivor Warne-Smith to watch him at Wesley College but Warne-Smith did not make the trip. |
Player | Year | Notes
|
Dean Farnham | 1971 | Central Districts ruckman shown as "not coming until next year" in a June 1971 edition of Inside Football. Eventually played for Fitzroy in 1974.
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Bob Heard | 1971 | Shown as having been pursued by Melbourne in a June 1971 edition of Inside Football
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Peter Jones | 1971 | Shown as having been pursued by Melbourne in a June 1971 edition of Inside Football
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Brian Mynott | 1973 | St Kilda ruckman who agreed to sign with Melbourne then changed his mind and returned to Moorabbin.
|
Rex Hunt | 1973 | Linked to the Demons
|
John Pitura | 1974 | Had negotiations with Melbourne and Geelong when he left South Melbourne but ultimately signed for Richmond.
|
Robert Lamb | 1975 | Melbourne refused to pay a $30,000 transfer fee from Richmond
|
Stephen Clifford | 1977 | Collingwood player said to want to play for Melbourne in 1977. Remained at Collingwood until 1978.
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Robert Foldvari | Late 1970s | Future champion snooker player who was invited to train with Melbourne while playing with McKinnon but declined.
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Ronny Barassi | 1978 | Son of Ron Barassi, chose to join North Melbourne instead of Carlton or the Demons who he was also eligible for.
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Graeme Gellie | 1978 | On his way to Melbourne after being rejected by St Kilda until signed with Northcote instead. Later returned to the Saints in 1978.
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Shane Bond | 1978 | Approached by Melbourne after being axed by Collingwood, but chose North Melbourne because he wanted to play for a finals contender.
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Michael Graham | 1976 | Sturt was prepared to swap him for Gary Hardeman, but Hardeman decided to stay at Melbourne
|
Adrian Gallagher | 1976 | Chose North over Melbourne, Carlton or staying at Footscray
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Ian Salmon | 1977 | Footscray player discussed as a swap for Bruce Reid but did not join, saying he wanted to play in the country (Age 15/04/1977)
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Gary Parkes | 1978 | Meant to be a part of the Allan Davis trade to Essendon in 1978
|
Wayne Johnston | 1978 | Melbourne expressed an interest in buying him from Prahran but his rights were held by Carlton, who he eventually played with
|
Leigh Matthews | 1978 | Melbourne attempted to sign him as playing coach but Hawthorn reported them to the VFL for making an illegal approach.
|
David Young | 1979 | Offered to the Demons by South Melbourne in a swap for Cameron Clayton in 1979 Melbourne opted to keep Clayton and South delisted Young.
|
Graeme Whitnall and Russell Ohlsen | 1979 | Melbourne asked for permission to interview them (Inside Football 15/03/1979) but they didn’t join |
Player | Year | Notes
|
Grant Thomas | 1980 | Linked to Melbourne when dropped from the St Kilda list in early 1980.
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Michael Oaten | 1980 | Son of ex-South Melbourne player Max Oaten lived in Melbourne's zone, but the Demons passed on him and he ended up playing 6 games for South/Sydney.
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Guy Byrne | 1980 | Brunswick and Port Melbourne rover who had been offered a trial by the Demons two months before being run down by a hit-run driver shortly after his 21st birthday and losing his leg (Inside Football - 21/05/1981)
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Grant Campbell | 1980 | East Perth player who Melbourne alleged they tried to sign but had been offered $40,000 by another club not to join.
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Kevin Bartlett | 1980 | Richmond accused Melbourne of trying to poach their players
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David Cloke | 1980 | Richmond accused Melbourne of trying to poach their players. The Demons had previously shown interest in 1974 (Age 19/04/1974)
|
Rod Ashman | 1980 | Originally part of the Greg Wells trade to Carlton, Melbourne waved his rights to take Vin Catoggio and Michael Young instead.
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Alan Mangels | 1980 | The Demons claimed Carlton had offered him as part of the Greg Wells trade. The matter ended up in court during 1981
|
Peter Laughlin | 1981 | Richmond utility who Melbourne was given permission to interview in 1980 but negotiations between the clubs failed (Inside Football - 09/04/1981)
|
Jim Jess | 1981 | Melbourne publicly announced their interest in the Richmond player after he was dropped to the Tiger reserves, and were rumoured to be offering Steven Smith in return (Inside Football 26/03/1981). Melbourne denied Smith was on offer and Richmond refused to let Jess go (Inside Football 30/04/1981)
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Barry Davis | 1981 | Former Essendon coach who was expected to help with skills coaching later in the year (Inside Football 16/07/1981)
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Darren and Brett Skilton | 1982 | Sons of Bob Skilton, invited to train with Melbourne pre-season but opted to stay with the Caulfield Under 19s (Inside Football 01/07/1982)
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Mark Browning | 1982 | Appeared likely to cross from South Melbourne before Essendon outbid the Demons. Stayed at South.
|
Niall Quinn | 1983 | Irishman who the club hoped to lure but lost out on when he chose to sign with soccer side Arsenal instead
|
Ramsay Bogunovich | 1982 | Geelong ruckman who was looked at by Melbourne but the Cats refused to sell him (Inside Football 15/04/1982)
|
Michael Reeves | 1982 | North Melbourne youngster who Melbourne was in the hunt for in May 1982. Did not join (Inside Football - 27/05/1982)
|
David Lord | 1984 | Son of John Lord, pursued by Melbourne and Richmond
|
Paul Clarke Mick Crowley John Power Alan McClean | 1984 | Irish players invited to trial with Melbourne but didn't sign
|
Jonathan Barber | 1980s | Moama ruckman scouted by Melbourne in the 1980s.
|
Michael Coates | 1985 | Trained with Melbourne in the 1985 pre-season. Returned to the Roys in '86.
|
Charles Walder | 1985 | Prahran forward linked to Melbourne, Fitzroy and North. Chose North but only played for their reserves before returning to Prahran
|
Gordon Sumner | 1985 | Initially zoned to Melbourne before the districts changed and he became a Collingwood player (Inside Football 23/05/1985)
|
Clinton Browning | 1985 | East Fremantle player linked with Melbourne, North, Footscray and Sydney in July 1985. Remained in Perth (Inside Football 18/07/1985)
|
Laurie Keene, Trevor Poole and Michael Christian | 1986 | Targeted by the Demons as part of the recruiting raid that landed Todd Viney and Warren Dean but didn’t join (Inside Football 04/09/1986 and 11/09/1986))
|
Andrew Jarman | 1987 | Approached by Melbourne after his brother had been drafted by the Demons. but chose to stay with North Adelaide
|
Darel Hart | 1987 | North Adelaide player who rejected Melbourne’s overtures in mid-1987 (Inside Football 05/08/1987)
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Gary Ablett | 1987 | Interviewed by Melbourne when he briefly split from Geelong but returned to the Cats.
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Peter Daicos | 1987 | Melbourne denied mid-season rumours that they were going to buy Daicos from Collingwood
|
Michael Roach | 1987 | John Northey attempted to lure the Richmond spearhead, but he didn't sign.
|
Brian Taylor | 1987 | Melbourne announced they were interested in signing the Collingwood full-forward after the 1987 season and admitted to meeting with him but he remained at the Pies
|
Mark Bayes | 1987 | Battled Richmond for his signature at the end of 1987 but stayed at Sydney (Inside Football 30/09/1987)
|
David Bugalski | 1988 | Ajax player invited to train with the Under 19s.
|
Mark Massey | 1988 | ACT Under 16s captain Invited to train in the pre-season. Not clear if he took up the offer.
|
Scott Wynd | 1988 | Melbourne was one of several clubs that courted him before he joined the Bulldogs (Age 04/06/1992)
|
Jamie Flinkier | Late 1980s | Ajax player who declined offer to train with Melbourne. Later played Under 19s for VAFA state side |
Player | Year | Notes
|
Gerald Healy | 1991 | Newspapers speculated that Healy might be picked by Melbourne in the Pre-Season draft (Age 10/03/1991)
|
Michael Tuck | 1991 | In his autobiography Garry Lyon says that the Demons made an offer to Tuck after the season that was half considered.
|
Stevan Jackson | 1992 | Melbourne tried to trade Earl Spalding to West Coast for Jackson but they weren't interested (Age 22/03/1992)
|
Dermott Brereton | 1995 | With Allen Jakovich finished and David Schwarz out for the season Melbourne showed some interest for 1995 but he was drafted by Collingwood before the Demons could take him
|
Kain Taylor | 1995 | Former St Kilda player who trained with Melbourne on their pre-season camp
|
Keenan Reynolds | 1995 | Another potential Schwarz replacement, articles suggested Melbourne thought he'd be gone by the time their pick came. He was available by the Demons didn't select him
|
Ricky Ollerenshaw | 1995 | Offered by Essendon in a trade exchange for the Febey brothers (Age 28/11/1995)
|
Darren Gaspar | 1996 | Melbourne was linked with the Sydney defender in early 1996 but baulked at his 250k price tag.
|
Mark Graham | 1996 | Out of contract Hawthorn player who turned down a contract offer before the 1996 season (Age 18/01/1996)
|
Leigh Colbert | 1996 | Newspapers (Age 12/07/1996) reported that both Melbourne and Hawthorn were ready to bid for the Geelong player when his contract ended.
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Daryl Griffin | 1996 | Melbourne agreed to trade Jeff Hilton to Footscray for Griffin but the deal was vetoed by Footscray's administration.
|
Gavin Brown | 1996 | Melbourne reportedly tried to sign the Collingwood captain at the end of 1996. (Age 12/12/1996)
|
Stuart Edwards | 1996 | Trained at the end of the 1996 season but was not drafted.
|
Paul McCormack | 1996 | Ex-Carlton defender who trained at the end of the 1996 season but was not drafted
|
Shannon Grant | 1997 | Linked in media reports in mid-1997
|
Xavier Teague and Ashley Hutchison | Trained in 1997 pre-season but were beaten to a spot on the list by fellow invitee Shane Woewodin (Age 24/01/1997)
|
Peter Matera | 1998 | Agreed to join then changed his mind and stayed at West Coast
|
Scott Russell | 1999 | Former Collingwood player who Melbourne expressed an interest in picking in the pre-season draft, but joined the Western Bulldogs instead
|
Matthew Bernes | 1999 | Glenorchy/Tassie Mariners player who trained before the season but was not drafted after suffering an ACL injury (Mercury 27/02/2001)
|
Glenn Manton | 1999 | Linked with Melbourne when he was not offered an appropriate deal by the Blues but stayed at Carlton.
|
Frankie Raso | 1999 | Former Collingwood player, trained with the club at the end of 1999 but was not drafted
|
Nathan Gemmill | 1999 | Rochester player who trained with the club at the end of 1999 but was not drafted |
Player | Year | Notes
|
Blake Campbell | 2000 | Son of Des Campbell who Melbourne asked permission to list despite their salary cap penalties
|
Peter Berbakov | 2000 | Delisted Essendon defender who trained with the Demons
|
Adam Coghlan | 2000 | Ex-Sydney Swans list player from Sandringham invited to train
|
Ryan Viney | 2000 | Brother of Todd and Jay. Trained with the Demons after 2000
|
Paul Maher | 2000 | Ex-Fremantle player.
|
Bernie Collins | 2000s | Irishman who was lost to the Demons in a coin-toss with the Bulldogs. Melbourne got Kevin Devine instead.
|
Adrian DeLuca | Early 2000s | Future Carlton payer who trained with Melbourne during a pre-season but was not picked.
|
Trent Croad | 2001 | The Demons were initially named as his most likely destination after leaving Hawthorn, but he eventually went to Fremantle.
|
Brad Flower | 2001-2002 | Son of Robbie Flower. Played with Eastern Ranges in 2001 and with Sandringham in 2002 with an eye to a father/son selection but was not picked.
|
Barnaby Howarth | 2002 | 22-year-old midfielder from Pennant Hills, NSW. Trained but was not picked up in the rookie draft and joined Sandringham.
|
David Pitt | 2001 | Springvale player who trained with the club
|
Wayne Carey | 2002 | Melbourne were one of the club's linked to Carey with CEO John Anderson refusing to rule out a move.
|
Michael Handby | 2002 | Former Adelaide listed player who trained with the team but was not drafted
|
Chad Davis | 2002 | Former St Kilda player who trained but was not drafted
|
Danny O'Brien | 2002 | Ex-Geelong player who trained with the club but was not drafted
|
Jade Rawlings | 2003 | Met with Melbourne in 2003 trade week with a view to joining as a swap for the #5 selection ultimately used on Brock McLean
|
Ryan Houlihan | 2003 | Had an offer to join but chose to stay at Carlton.
|
Justin Blumfield | 2005 | Considered for the spot on the list left open by Troy Broadbridge
|
Kris Barlow | 2005 | Considered for the spot on the list left open by Troy Broadbridge
|
Brad Sewell | 2005 | Ryan Ferguson refused a 2005 trade that would have seen him switch to Hawthorn as a swap for Sewell. Went on to win two premierships with the Hawks.
|
Chris Judd | 2007 | Childhood Melbourne fan who named Melbourne as one of his four potential clubs before choosing Carlton
|
Robert Warnock | 2008 | Almost lured to the club before choosing Carlton after 2008 . His brother Matthew played for the Demons at the time.
|
Shaun Burgoyne | 2009 | Named Melbourne as one of his three preferred clubs when he left Port Adelaide. Joined Hawthorn.
|
Luke Ball | 2009 | Courted by the Demons but nominated Collingwood as his preferred club. Despite some suggestion that Melbourne would use National Draft selection 18 on him, they did not.
|
Mitch Thorp | 2009 | Former top ten Hawthorn pick who was sacked from the Hawks with a year left on his contracted. Trained with the Demons as a potential key forward but was not selected after failing medical tests.
|
David Hale | 2010 | Former North Melbourne ruckman linked heavily to the Demons during trade week 2010. Despite the suggestion that Hale would go to either club, he eventually landed at Hawthorn when the Hawks trumped Melbourne's offer.
|
Mitch White, James Munro, Matthew Buntine, Jack Bell, Corey Ellison, George Grey, Miles Shepherd, Roan Steele, Aiden Quigley, Luca Goonan, Riley Baldi, Josh Smith, Bryce Milford, Tyler Edwards, Jack Lonie, David Zahrakis, Reece Conca, Sam Reid, Callum Moore, Thomas Freeman | 2022 | Players named as potential COVID top-ups should the team not be able to field a team due to a virus outbreak
|
Trent Burgoyne | Former Port Adelaide player who trained before the 2023 season in an attempt to win a list spot as a delisted free agent but missed out |