WITH the AFL trade and free agency period about to begin, Melbourne is preparing to bolster its stocks ahead of the 2020 season.

General Manager of Football Operations Josh Mahoney says he is pleased with where the Demons’ list is currently at, but a few additions will help them bounce back strongly next year.

“It’s an important time for us every year to make our list better,” Mahoney told Melbourne Media.

“Although the ladder showed we finished 17^th, we don’t think our list needs too much.

“It needs a few players to be brought in, but we don’t see mass changes within our playing list.

“Quite clearly we need some outside run.

“We’ve got a really good midfield that have done terrific things over a period of time, but to add some outside run, particularly around the wing positions, is really a focus for us, and really out of the trade period, that would be a real goal.”

GWS utility Adam Tomlinson is one name who has been linked with the Dees, and a player Mahoney would be keen to secure.

“He’s obviously a free agent this year and he’s been an experienced player,” he said.

“He really plays the wing predominantly for [GWS]. He played probably a different role this year – he played the wing plus a little bit of ruck.

“We’ve been in conversations with him and we’d like to think we’re a good chance if he decides to leave GWS, so that’ll play out in the next few days.”

Tomlinson is an elite runner for a man standing at 194cm and would be a versatile option for the Dees.

Another wingman the club has shown interest in is Fremantle’s Ed Langdon.

“He’s indicated to Fremantle that he wants to return to Victoria, and again, we feel quite confident that we’ve been involved in those conversations,” Mahoney said.

“We’re going into trade period and if it can work out that we can get both Ed and Adam, we think we would’ve done pretty well.”

On top of the midfield duo, media reports have suggested Melbourne could be in the frame to recruit Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott, who would provide a significant boost to the forward line.

“Jamie’s been a player we’ve been interested in for a long period of time,” Mahoney said.

“He’s obviously had an injury riddled career so far, but we saw in the back half of this year what he can do.

“He’s at a very strong club in Collingwood, they’ve had a lot of success, so first decision he has to make is if he wants to leave Collingwood Footy Club.

“If he decides to do that, again, he’s a free agent and we’d like to be in the conversation there.

“There’s a fair bit to play out in the next 10 days.”

While the Demons are excited by the possibility of acquiring some new talent, that may come at the expense of some currently listed players.

Sam Frost is one who is weighing up his options, with a move to the Hawks a possibility for the defender.

“We’ve been having some conversations with Sam and indicated that we have a contract there for him, but we weren’t prepared to offer one at the time,” Mahoney said.

“Given that he’s 26 years of age, he took the opportunity to have a look around and at this stage indicated that Hawthorn have got a contract offer for him.”

After playing every game in 2019 and finishing in the top 10 of Melbourne’s best and fairest, Mahoney understands why there is confusion among fans about letting Frost go.

“What Sam did was he made the most of his opportunities,” Mahoney said.

“He got opportunities through some injuries to our players.

“We’ve invested pretty heavily in our key defensive roles in the last few trade periods, with Jake Lever, Steven May. We’ve got Oscar McDonald, Harrison Petty, Marty Hore, who’ve all played those roles through the year.

“I can understand why people are questioning that, but we make decisions not just off a season of 2019.

“It’s over long-term decisions and if Sam’s not here next year, that’s what it’ll be based off.”

Jay Kennedy Harris and Billy Stretch are the only other players currently out of contract with Melbourne, as they wait to see what the future holds for them.

“They’re in the same position as Sam, and probably not unlike about another 50 guys in the AFL right now that are a little bit circumstantial in what happens during trade period,” Mahoney said.

“Jay and Billy have played roles here for us over a number of years and it’s probably depending on what happens during trade period if they’ll get offered a contract here.

“They’re two great characters and if it’s not at Melbourne we’d hope that they’d find another home as well.”

In positive news for the Dees this off-season, they will be able to utilise pick No.3 in the National Draft, posing a great opportunity for the club.

“We’re really excited by the pick that we’ve got,” Mahoney said.

“We haven’t had a first-round pick now for a number of years – we’ve traded them out in the last two or three years.

“So the recruiting team are involved with the combine right now and have been interviewing a number of players, and are excited by what we could get with pick three.

“We’d be open to movement around pick three, but it certainly would have to be a pretty enticing offer.”

The AFL player movement will begin when the free agency period opens on Friday, before the trade period commences next Monday.