COACH Dean Bailey says the club will not redraft Cameron Bruce via the NAB AFL Draft.
Bailey was posed the notion on Monday, when he spoke to the media at Gosch’s Paddock about Bruce.
“I can understand the question, but no - probably not,” Bailey said.
“When he’s made a decision to leave the club, [then] that’s basically it for us.”
Although Bruce is still technically on Melbourne’s list, he will be removed following the second list lodgment on Wednesday. The Demons could redraft Bruce if they wanted to - but the coach ruled it out.
Bailey said he was surprised when Bruce made the decision to leave.
“We were all, me included, comfortable with the offer we put forward to him … but I just expected him to turn up and train and be a Melbourne player,” he said.
“I was convinced he was going to be here. I really had no doubts about it. In terms of fighting for it, I expected him to be here to be honest, and when he came and saw me … when he rang me and said ‘I need to come and see you’ … I said ‘that doesn’t sound too good’.
“That’s why I said at the end of it ‘is there anything I can do to change your mind, because this is a surprise decision you’re making’.
Bailey said Bruce felt he was not in Melbourne’s plans, which he added was not the case.
“To be fair to Cameron, he probably felt that he didn’t feel like he was in our plans moving forward, with which I must admit I was a bit disappointed, because we did offer him a contract,” he said.
“As a professional footballer, with the options he had in place, our option putting forward was not as attractive as someone else - if he’s got another option there.
“Where he ends up and where he goes, I’m not sure and I don’t know, [so] until another club comes out or Cameron comes forward and says what the other options are.”
Bailey said he asked Bruce if there was anything Melbourne could do anything to persuade him to stay.
“He said ‘no, it’s taken a long time [to make this decision]’. When you’re at a club for a long period of time, these decisions aren’t made lightly,” he said.
“Cameron’s a guy who is a deep thinker, so he would’ve gone through all the options and felt this was the best decision for him and his family in this situation.”
Bailey suggested Bruce wanted another extra year on top of the one-year deal offered by the Demon. But the coach said he was unsure if money was an issue.
“I don’t know what the other offer is - if there is another offer to be honest. I don’t even know that,” he said.
“The contract we were offering him was a fair and reasonable offer to him with what he’s done for the footy club.
“We were comfortable with what we put forward to him.”
Bailey said the likes of James Strauss, Jack Grimes, Cale Morton and Colin Garland could cover Bruce’s loss.
Bailey was posed the notion on Monday, when he spoke to the media at Gosch’s Paddock about Bruce.
“I can understand the question, but no - probably not,” Bailey said.
“When he’s made a decision to leave the club, [then] that’s basically it for us.”
Although Bruce is still technically on Melbourne’s list, he will be removed following the second list lodgment on Wednesday. The Demons could redraft Bruce if they wanted to - but the coach ruled it out.
Bailey said he was surprised when Bruce made the decision to leave.
“We were all, me included, comfortable with the offer we put forward to him … but I just expected him to turn up and train and be a Melbourne player,” he said.
“I was convinced he was going to be here. I really had no doubts about it. In terms of fighting for it, I expected him to be here to be honest, and when he came and saw me … when he rang me and said ‘I need to come and see you’ … I said ‘that doesn’t sound too good’.
“That’s why I said at the end of it ‘is there anything I can do to change your mind, because this is a surprise decision you’re making’.
Bailey said Bruce felt he was not in Melbourne’s plans, which he added was not the case.
“To be fair to Cameron, he probably felt that he didn’t feel like he was in our plans moving forward, with which I must admit I was a bit disappointed, because we did offer him a contract,” he said.
“As a professional footballer, with the options he had in place, our option putting forward was not as attractive as someone else - if he’s got another option there.
“Where he ends up and where he goes, I’m not sure and I don’t know, [so] until another club comes out or Cameron comes forward and says what the other options are.”
Bailey said he asked Bruce if there was anything Melbourne could do anything to persuade him to stay.
“He said ‘no, it’s taken a long time [to make this decision]’. When you’re at a club for a long period of time, these decisions aren’t made lightly,” he said.
“Cameron’s a guy who is a deep thinker, so he would’ve gone through all the options and felt this was the best decision for him and his family in this situation.”
Bailey suggested Bruce wanted another extra year on top of the one-year deal offered by the Demon. But the coach said he was unsure if money was an issue.
“I don’t know what the other offer is - if there is another offer to be honest. I don’t even know that,” he said.
“The contract we were offering him was a fair and reasonable offer to him with what he’s done for the footy club.
“We were comfortable with what we put forward to him.”
Bailey said the likes of James Strauss, Jack Grimes, Cale Morton and Colin Garland could cover Bruce’s loss.
