MELBOURNE has not ruled out featuring in trade week despite plans to make up to six selections in this year's NAB AFL Draft.

List manager Tim Harrington said the Demons would keep their options open when considering whether to recruit a player from another club or preserve a draft order that will start with the prized pick No.1.

"I'm always open-minded about the trade period, because you have to strengthen your club's future. So that means that you have to be willing to trade or at least be open-minded about how you strengthen your club for the future," he told melbournefc.com.au.

"That's part of the role as list manager. There is much less involvement in the day-to-day [activities of the football department], but with an eye on what the list is going to look like in two years, three years and five years.

"Having said that, the role of the list manager is to also balance the needs of recruiting, coaching and club to make sure everyone is aligned in ticking the same things."

However, Harrington reiterated that adding more young players to a squad loaded with 2007 and 2008 draftees was the priority.

"The draft is certainly the main focus, when we've got prime positioning with our picks. You've got to make sure you get those picks right," he said.

"We've had a couple of blokes who have announced their retirements (Paul Wheatley, Matthew Whelan and Russell Robertson), which makes the list look younger again, but we'll go to the draft table and take young talented blokes again.

"We'll be younger again next year, so we've got to balance out against getting younger and getting even more inexperienced next year. But what we’re aiming for is development on the field."

At the 2007 NAB AFL Draft, Melbourne selected Cale Morton (4), Jack Grimes (14), Addam Maric (21), Kyle Cheney (53) and Tom McNamara (66).

Jack Watts (No.1), Sam Blease (17), James Strauss (19), Jamie Bennell (35), Neville Jetta (51) and Rohan Bail (64) were taken from last year's pool.

NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft selections Stefan Martin (2008) and Liam Jurrah (2009) and Austin Wonaeamirri, Jake Spencer, Shane Valenti and Jordie McKenzie, who have either graduated from or remain on the club's rookie list, form the rest of Melbourne's emerging group.