POTENTIAL rule changes could influence the direction of Melbourne’s recruiting and the retention of its players, according to coach Paul Roos.

Roos said the challenge for the club’s list management committee was assessing players, when rotations and the interchange could change for 2016 and beyond.

“The challenge is going to be … as it is for all clubs – what’s going to happen with the interchange and the cap? We don’t know, but that’s clearly going to impact all lists and it’ll certainly impact some of the guys on our list, depending on where it settles,” he said on Roos’ Views.

“The guys were talking to the laws of the game crew and they said ‘we’ll let you know the day before the draft’. Our response is ‘you can’t do that, because it’s significant’. The lower [the interchange rotations], the more significant it becomes.

“Our recruiters will need to know and our list managers will need to know a month out from the draft and trading. There’s no point bringing guys in that can’t run.

“I don’t think the AFL is fully aware [that rule changes can impact list management and recruiting]. OK, make the rules, but then give us an opportunity to adjust to those rules, when you make them – I think it’s just critical.”

Roos said the club was starting to increase its list management discussions, with just four rounds remaining.

“We have a list management meeting once every couple of weeks – probably now until the rest of the year [once] every week,” he said.

“I don’t really get too involved in that and we have some discussions of who might be available, so our focus is on the list that we’ve got.

“Then we’ll leave it to [manager of player personnel] Todd [Viney] and [manager of football operations] Josh [Mahoney] to deal with managers. Then if there are players that want to come [to the club] and we want them – that’s when you get stuck into it, post-season.”

In terms of how many list changes will occur at the end of the season, Roos said: “I wouldn’t have thought as many as the last couple, but having said that, I really haven’t sat down and had a close look at it.”

“What we’re looking for from the guys in the VFL is improvement and that was the theme that we said to them.”