AFL 2024: Melbourne says Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca will drive flag tilt

Melbourne list boss Tim Lamb is adamant the Demons can improve next season as he backed a fully fit Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver to restore order in 2025.

The Demons could not extract tall utility Wade Derksen from a “resolute” GWS on Wednesday night, but Lamb insisted they were still armed with the tools to contend for a premiership.

Lamb ruled out making a play for a potential delisted free agent such as St Kilda forward Tim Membrey, as key defender Adam Tomlinson was delisted on Thursday.

Melbourne brought in journeyman ruck Tom Campbell and 16-game Brisbane wingman Harry Sharp while gaining a second top-10 draft pick via a pick swap with Essendon.

The Demons also stopped Oliver leaving for Geelong via trade, as Lamb emphatically denied the four-time best and fairest had been “desperate” to join the Cats after he was shopped around by the club for a second consecutive year.

“Simon (Goodwin) has been in constant contact to him, and Clayton fully understands the situation – he’ll be back at training and ready to go,” Lamb said.

“I don’t think (the relationship needs repairing). I’ll dispute your term ‘desperate to get to Geelong’ … semantics – he’s looking forward to a great season next year.”

Lamb said “100 per cent we’ll be better” when asked if he thought genuine improvement was possible with Melbourne’s current list.

It comes after 28-year-old Alex Neal-Bullen, an important high half-forward and midfielder who finished third in the best and fairest, left for Adelaide early in the trade period.

“Christian Petracca’s one of the best players in the competition. I don’t think anyone is recruiting a better player than Christian, and we missed him for the second half of the year,” Lamb said.

“We’re in a really good spot, and we’re going to add two top-10 picks to the list this year in the draft … we’re aiming to finish as high as we can and give (the flag) a real crack every year, 100 per cent.”

Lamb said the Demons had no concern Petracca would have an interrupted start to the pre-season or 2025 campaign, as he trained strongly on his European trip.

“If you jump on Trac’s social media, he’s training like a machine. He messaged me the other night after we got pick 9 (from Essendon) – he’s like a big kid, he’s that excited and that happy and ready to go,” Lamb said.

“The medical advice is that he’ll be fine (to start the season).”

Lamb said clubs had not reached out in regards to Tomlinson, who was delisted after 45 games in five years following 140 matches at GWS.

The Demons were yet to make a decision on uncontracted defender Marty Hore and forward Joel Smith, who remains provisionally suspended for next season after a positive doping test result after a game in August last year.

They hold picks 5 and 9 in the draft and are set to search for an additional late selection after Lamb all but ruled out a play for a delisted free agent.