MELBOURNE will remain active for the remainder of the Gillette AFL Trade Period even after securing Collingwood's Chris Dawes and pick No. 58 in exchange for picks No. 20 and No. 45 on Tuesday.
 
Coach Mark Neeld said on Wednesday that the club remained interested in North Melbourne's Cameron Pedersen and Essendon's Scott Gumbleton, although it was unlikely the club would have space for both players.

And the club's list manager Tim Harrington told AFL.com.au's Trade Radio that midfielders would now become a priority.

"We think we can focus on getting another midfielder now," Harrington said.

"You can't have enough run, carry and spread in your midfield, so that's something we're still after."

The Dawes deal means Melbourne has only pick No.4 in the first 50 selections in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft to be held on the Gold Coast in November, but Neeld was unconcerned.
 
The club will draft Jack Viney, who Neeld rated as top 10 pick at worst, with No.26 and has also secured Dominic Barry and Jesse Hogan in a deal with Greater Western Sydney.

Valuing Hogan as a top 10 pick in the 2013 draft, Neeld said the club would effectively bring in three top 10 picks at least in the next two years.

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"We think we've got enough kids," Neeld said.
 
That was why Neeld said the club was so pleased to attract Dawes, a 24-year-old with 71 games experience.
 
"[Dawes] played in the last five finals series, include the drawn Grand Final [and] he's played in three Grand Finals and cracked it for a flag," he said.

"We're certainly not underestimating what that means to our group and we've added Shannon Byrnes as well, so between them there is a lot of experience at great clubs and knowledge to pass on to our boys."
 
Neeld said Dawes had been recruited to play as a key forward and would not be expected to play second ruck.

Dawes played as a rucking forward in 2012 for Collingwood and, despite playing 23 games, struggled to have an impact.
 
"We think he is really well suited to play as that key forward," Neeld said.

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Geelong's Tom Hawkins is one player who flourished after the Cats stopped trying to play him in the ruck as well as up forward.

The Demons will be hoping for a similar outcome from Dawes, but at the moment are pleased just to have him in their forward structure.
 
Well on the way to recovering from the knee injury he carried into this year's preliminary final, Neeld said the big forward was back running.

"It's terrific for Mitch Clark and the rest of the team to have a second big body down there," Neeld said.

While not discounting Gumbleton, Harrington said it appeared unlikely he would leave Essendon.

"He's a loyal bloke, and I think his preference would be to stay at the Bombers, however if he was to come to a club where he was more the main man, I reckon he might be persuaded to move if the role was strong enough in his eyes."

Harrington also reveled rival clubs had inquired about Demons Stefan Martin, Jordan Gysberts and Cale Morton but did not elaborate.