MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey says he will not turn his focus to gaining priority selections at this year’s NAB AFL Draft despite his team posting a 1-10 win-loss ratio at the halfway point of the season.
If the Demons do not win four matches or gain more than 16 points this season they will claim a priority selection – and the first two picks overall – in the last uncompromised draft before the entry of the new Gold Coast and western Sydney franchises.
But Bailey says winning matches and putting games into his young players is what the second half of the season will be about - not talk of possible draft scenarios.
"We've got 11 games to go and our intention is to try and pick a team that'll give experience to young players and still give us a chance to win the game," he told afl.com.au.
"You coach to win and players play to win – that's not going to change, hasn't changed this year and it's not going to change in the future."
Due to his busy coaching schedule, Bailey said he had only seen some of the crop coming through this year's NAB AFL Under 18 Championships.
"I haven't seen much of the under-18 carnival yet. I've seen a little bit of vision of some players," he said.