Many in the football world have been left scratching their heads with reports Melbourne have offered pick 25 to Essendon for Jake Melksham.
Certainly if talkback radio is anything to go by, many feel Essendon are getting the deal of the century and Melbourne have lost their minds.
Melksham needs a change of environment and Melbourne need some players with leg speed who can carry the ball and chip in with the occasional goal. Is the deal a good one for Melbourne?
No doubt future Demons coach Simon Goodwin would have had his say on the deal. Goodwin worked with Melksham while an assistant coach at Essendon and has always spoken in glowing terms of the ability he has. A lot of Essendon players have struggled to perform in recent years under the weight of the ASADA saga and Melksham certainly isn’t the first player from Essendon who has looked for a fresh start elsewhere.
The trade period for Melbourne has been quite good under Paul Roos. One of the first things Roos identified when he arrived at the club was the need to bring in ready-made AFL players. Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross, Jeff Garlett, Dom Tyson and spring straight to mind as players who have had a positive influence at the club.
Melksham is in the right age bracket and his best football should be ahead of him. At 24 years of age and 113 games he has shown he is capable of performing at AFL level. Melksham has never been a prolific ball winner but has generally averaged between 15-20 disposals per season.
He often plays across half-forward which is not always the easiest position to play. Drafted with 10 in the 2009 draft Essendon are obviously keen to maximise their return on a player they have invested a lot of time into, pick 25 is probably not too far off the mark.
Melbourne is also believed to be making a move for GWS defender Tomas Bugg who will complement the current backline. Bugg and Melksham coming in while keeping a first round pick for the draft will probably be considered good business for Melbourne. Excitement is already building for the debut of Christian Petracca, who was drafted with pick 2 in the 2014 draft but unfortunately missed season 2015 with an ACL injury.
Melksham might not be a star recruit but he is a solid AFL player and is going to a club that despite what many believe have shown some improvement in the last two years. Many will still frown at the trade but Melbourne have identified an area they need to improve. Melksham fits the bill and expect Melbourne to continue to improve in season 2016.
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