PRESIDENT Jim Stynes believes Melbourne supporters are pleased with the direction his club is taking, if growing membership is the barometer.

The Demons recruited Jack Watts with their No. 1 pick in Saturday's NAB AFL Draft, and on Monday announced that their high-profile acquisition would wear the guernsey carried by club legend Norm Smith – No. 4.

Watts' selection was followed by Sam Blease (pick No. 17), James Strauss (19), Jamie Bennell (35), Neville Jetta (51) and Rohan Bail (64) – giving Melbourne a further injection of the youth it paraded throughout season 2008.

Membership figures have received a boost too – with a 50 per cent increase on those tallied in November 2007.

"We're up past 12,000, so we're flying – last year, this time, we were 8000," Stynes said from the MCG.

"It's hard to know what people are thinking, but the general consensus is that our supporter base are very happy with the decisions that we've been making.

"It's a vote of confidence of the leadership of the organisation, not just at board level, but with our CEO, our drafting, with our policies, keeping that youth focus."

Coach Dean Bailey confirmed that more youngsters will join the squad through the December 16 pre-season and rookie drafts, and that the former wouldn't provide a lifeline for a recycled player.

Ex-West Coast midfielder Ben Cousins has not been linked to Melbourne to this stage and, given Bailey's policy, there is no chance of it happening.

However, a handful of players will be invited to train with the club this week in the hope of earning the sole spot available through the pre-season draft.

Melbourne is one of just six clubs to have a selection.

"We'll still draft a young kid," Bailey said.

"We've been pretty firm in our commitment to go and draft young players.

"Most people will understand why we're doing it, [to] build a list of young players who are going to come through together."