MELBOURNE has applied to the AFL for a "specialassistance" priority pick following its 64-point loss to Greater WesternSydney on Sunday.
On Monday, Melbourne officiallylodged its request with the AFL asking the AFL Commission to considerwhether it qualified for special assistance given its circumstances.
TheDemons have won just four games this season and look set to finish 17thon the ladder and gain the second pick in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.
Despiteits improvement under new coach Paul Roos it has scored six goals orfewer in four of its past six games and has put in several uncompetitiveperformances this season.
Under the priority pickrules introduced in 2012, the AFL Commission has the power to awardpriority picks on a discretionary basis.
Melbourne CEO Peter Jackson confirmed the club had lodged a submission but would not be commenting further.
"Ican confirm that the Melbourne Football Club has today lodged asubmission with the AFL for special assistance under 'Rule 19' for apriority selection in the 2014 National Draft," Jackson said.
"This is now a matter for the AFL Commission to consider and because of that, we won't be making any further comment."
Ifthe AFL Commission decides Melbourne should get a priority pick it candetermine where that selection occurs. The Demons are also in line for acompensation pick if James Frawley leaves the club as a free agent.
Itsrequest will not be without controversy as the Demons have bungledseveral first-round draft picks since 2006 and were fined $500,000 afteran investigation into tanking cleared the club of the offence in 2013.
Theclub has already used priority picks on Sam Blease (pick 17, 2008), TomScully (pick 1, 2009) and used first-round draft picks since 2007 onCale Morton (pick 4, 2007), Jack Watts (pick 1, 2008), Scully and JackTrengove (pick 1 and 2, 2009), Lucas Cook (pick 12, 2010), Jimmy Toumpas(pick 4, 2012) and Christian Salem (pick 9, 2013).
Italso traded its first-round pick in 2011 to the Brisbane Lions forMitch Clark and traded pick 3 to gain access to Jesse Hogan in themini-draft in 2012.
It also traded pick 2 to Greater Western Sydney for Dom Tyson and pick 9 in 2013.
Melbournehas not made the finals since 2006 and has won just 38 games of apossible 174 in almost eight completed seasons since the start of 2007.
Accordingto statistician Josh Kay, Melbourne been placed in the bottom two onthe ladder after 98 of 179 rounds played since the start of 2007.
The highest it has finished during that time is 12th in 2010.
