Melbourne will have to overcome unanimous opposition from the other 17 AFL clubs to gain a priority pick at this year’s national draft.
The Demons have applied to the league for the pick, with the commission to make a decision on the issue at its next meeting on September 23.
But AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has made it clear the other clubs do not want Melbourne to have the concession.
“Of the 17 clubs that are not Melbourne that have spoken or written to me, it’s fair to say there is a fairly consistent view … they all say `no thanks’,” Demetriou told SEN.
At last Friday’s media conference to announce Paul Roos as the new coach, Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson said the club had a strong case for a priority pick.
But he admitted the tanking investigation earlier this year had muddied the waters for the Demons.
“The issue for us – let’s expose the elephant in the room – is what happened earlier this year with the tanking investigation,” Jackson said.