MELBOURNE has opened contract negotiations with out-of-contract high-flyer Jeremy Howe, the player who shapes as the Dees' No.1 priority re-signing this year.
 
Howe is set to come out of contract at Melbourne at the end of this season along with teammates such as second-year midfielder Christian Salem, 2012 No.4 draft pick Jimmy Toumpas, former skipper Jack Trengove, ruckman Max Gawn, and prospective free agents Colin Garland and Mark Jamar.
 
Howe's manager, Ben Niall of Scopo Management, told AFL.com.au he met with Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney late last week to open contract discussions.
 
"I've had an initial catch-up with Josh and just touched base with him," Niall said.
 
"I need to spend some time with Jeremy now, having a bit of a think about things and then we'll work out how we go ahead."
 
Melbourne captain Nathan Jones was due to enter 2015's free agency pool along with Garland and Jamar before the Dees re-signed him until the end of 2019 in December.
 
Now Howe shapes as Melbourne's most valuable unsigned player.
 
The 24-year-old is about to enter his fifth season at Melbourne and is not eligible for free agency until 2018 at the earliest.
 
But Greater Western Sydney made a last-minute bid for him in last October's trade period and it is understood the Demon is already on the radar of several opposition clubs.
 
Rival interest in Howe will only intensify the longer he remains out of contract.
 
Howe has finished in the top 10 of Melbourne's best and fairest award for the past three seasons, including a career-best sixth placing last year when he successfully switched from attack to defence.
 
The 190cm utility's calling card has been his spectacular high marking but he has also established himself as one of the best contested marks in the competition, leading the Demons in this statistic for the past three years and finishing equal fourth in the competition in 2012.
 
Melbourne has had more than its share of draft disasters in recent years but the Dees made an inspired decision when they plucked Howe from the Tasmanian state league with pick No.33 in the 2010 draft.
 
The Dodges Ferry local has since played 78 of a possible 88 games and kicked 70 goals.