MELBOURNE has delisted five players, including experienced pair, versatile tall Cam Pedersen and hard-nut Tom Bugg.
Utility Pat McKenna, and ruck duo Mitch King and Lochie Filipovic, have also been delisted.
Pedersen, a fan favourite among Melbourne supporters, played 80 AFL matches, including 64 with the Demons, after notching up 16 with North Melbourne.
He made his AFL debut with North Melbourne against West Coast Eagles at Subiaco in round one, 2011.
After two seasons with the Kangaroos, Pedersen was traded to Melbourne, where he spent the past six seasons.
Although he played 19 games in 2014 – his best effort in a season – he arguably had his best AFL year in 2017, where he featured in 15 games and produced some outstanding performances, earning Brownlow Medal votes in rounds 21 and 22.
But after playing the opening two rounds this year, Pedersen managed only two more games – round 12 against Collingwood and round 21 against the Sydney Swans – despite being an emergency for 12 matches.
Bugg played 96 AFL matches, including 65 with GWS Giants from 2012-15 and 31 with Melbourne from 2016-18.
A tenacious small, able to play midfield, forward and back, Bugg managed only three appearances this season from rounds three to five.
He made his AFL debut in GWS’ inaugural match against Sydney Swans at Stadium Australia in 2012.
McKenna, King and rookie Filipovic didn’t play an AFL game.
In his two seasons with Melbourne, McKenna was severely restricted by hamstring injuries and didn’t get back to playing with continuity until round 16 this season.
A knee injury ruined Mitch King’s first season at the club in 2016, and he still had some niggles along the way, including an elbow injury earlier this year.
Filipovic, a rookie with Melbourne, also finished this season – his second at the club – with a hand injury.
As earlier announced, 2015 best and fairest winner Bernie Vince and first-year Demon Harley Balic have retired.
2018 List Changes
DEPARTURES
Retired: Harley Balic, Bernie Vince.
Delisted: Tomas Bugg, Lochie Filopovic (rookie), Mitch King, Pat McKenna, Cam Pedersen.
