MELBOURNE young gun Cale Morton will be sidelined for eight to weeks after further medical assessment of his injured knee.
The 20-year-old tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee after backing into the path of two Essendon players while contesting a mark during the final term of Saturday's practice match at Visy Park.
Morton's injury means he will most likely miss the first six rounds of the home-and-away season.
"This is obviously disappointing for Cale and for the team," Demons football manager Chris Connolly said in a statement.
"Cale is a vital player for us and while this is a short-term hiccup we look forward to having him back to complete a critical mass of the 2010 season."
Taken with pick four in the 2007 national draft, Morton missed just one match last season and averaged 23 possessions per game.
He finished ninth in the club's best-and-fairest count in 2009 and has played a total of 40 games.
DEAN Bailey will be at the helm of Melbourne until at least the end of 2011 after signing a contract extension.
Bailey's tenure hasn't been overly successful thus far with the Demons winning just seven times from 44 games
Despite his poor record, Melbourne president Jim Stynes said the club was confident Bailey was taking the Dees in the right direction.
"In just over two years, Dean has laid the foundations for what we think will be a prolonged period of achievement," Stynes said.
"Solidarity and stability is important with a young group of players, and this decision will give them confidence moving forward."
Stynes also said the decision to give Bailey a new deal wasn't a rash one.
"We made this decision in our own time," he said.
"The process started at the end of last season, during the football department review. The decision to extend Dean’s contract was ratified by the Board of Directors, at last Friday’s board meeting.
"We see Dean as being a big part of the long term future of the Melbourne Football Club."
"This now gives him appropriate time to drive his vision and expectations for the playing group"
Bailey was pleased that the club had backed him.
"I'm looking forward working with this group as they develop as both players and people," Bailey said.
"The last two seasons have been years of great change, and it has been well documented that we have rebuilt through the draft but now it's a matter of putting game time into these young players as a group."
"This year, I expect our playing group to have a competitive attitude right from the start of games."
"Last year, we won 32 quarters of football and this has to change."
"We need to be in games right from the opening minute in order for us to win more matches for our members and supporters."
MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey says he sees the club's boom recruits Tom Scully and Jack Trengrove as 'equals'.
As expected, Scully was taken with pick one in the national draft while Trengrove was picked up with the number two pick.
Bailey admitted he would have loved to have had the pair share the top honour.
"We couldn't split them, unfortunately we were required to call them out one-by-one, but if it was up to me, I'd call both of them out together," Bailey said.
"I see them both as equals and they're going to really contribute well to the Melbourne Football Club."
Scully, a 182cm, 77kg midfielder who has been likened to Ben Cousins in terms of his running ability, said the pressure of being the No.1 draft pick was 'external'.
"All players that come to the club start off the same. If you let that sort of stuff get to you too much, it affects your football," Scully said.
"But if you just stay strong and stick to the stuff you know, that stuff shouldn't really worry you too much."
Trengrove, who captained South Australia at the under-18 championships and played senior football with Sturt in the SANFL this year, said there wasn't too much difference between being taken with pick one or two.
"We're going to the same club and we're going to have the same respect from the other players," Trengrove said.
"We're going to have to earn some respect and really work hard from the start."
"The number doesn't really mean everything until your out there playing footy and showing how good you are."
MELBOURNE has re-signed trio Clint Bartram, Kyle Cheney and Tom McNamara but did not reveal the length of the new deals.
Bartram has played 59 games for the Demons after being taken with pick 60 in the 2005 national draft.
Cheney and McNamara joined the club via the 2007 national draft and have managed 12 and three appearances respectively.
Meanwhile, the club has delisted forward Michael Newton and ruckman John Meesen.
Newton played five matches this year for a total of 21 while Meesen played just four games with Melbourne after playing two for Adelaide in 2007.
The pair, who have one year remaining on their contracts, have been told by the Demons that they will be re-drafted as rookies if there is no interest from any other clubs.
Rhys Healey, Jordie McKenzie, Daniel Hughes and Jake Spencer have all been retained on the rookie List while Cameron Bruce has been placed on the veterans list.
MELBOURNE speedster Aaron Davey was named as the Demons' best-and-fairest on Wednesday night.
Davey, who signed a new four-deal with Melbourne two weeks ago, polled 82 votes to win his first Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy.
The classy 26-year-old finished ahead of Brent Moloney (69) and Cameron Bruce (56).
Forward Matthew Bate was fourth with 47 votes while Nathan Jones, Colin Sylvia and Matthew Warnock polled 44 votes each to finish equal fifth.
Davey enjoyed his best season in 2009, playing all 22 games and recording a career-high
total disposals (504) and tackles (90).
2009 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy Top 10
1 - Aaron Davey (82)
2 - Brent Moloney (69)
3 - Cameron Bruce (56)
4 - Matthew Bate (47)
5 - Nathan Jones (44)
5 - Colin Sylvia (44)
5 - Matthew Warnock (44)
8 - James Frawley (43)
9 - James McDonald (42)
9 - Cale Morton (42)
MELBOURNE president Jim Stynes has declared at the club's best-and-fairest count at Crown Casino on Wednesday night that he hopes to be cancer-free by the end of next month.
Stynes has been undergoing radiation treatment over the past two weeks in a bid to get rid of three tumours in his brain.
The inspirational 43-year-old was upbeat as he updated more than 800 Demons faithful on his battle against cancer.
"Obviously, it's hard not to notice the nude nut," Stynes said.
"I was actually hoping to come with a number two (haircut) but it sort of got ahead of me yesterday. It started to fall out."
"When my daughter (Matisse) got to see it there this morning she got a bit of a shock to say the least. She's coping, she had a good laugh."
"My four-year-old boy (Tiernan) has got a number two . He thought it was very cool. If he thinks it's cool, I'm very happy with that."
Stynes, who said he would have a four-week break from radiation therapy, admitted the first round of treatment had affected him a bit.
"At the end of November I have to do one more session which should, please God, finish it off, get rid of the tumours in the brain," he said.
"I'm feeling a lot better since Monday because when you go through it you feel nauseous."
"As my poor wife (Samantha) has had to deal with, you feel grumpy and you're not as much fun to be around, so I'm starting to pep up again."
Despite his personal battle, Stynes was quick to turn the attention back onto the Melbourne Football Club.
The Demons may have won back-to-back wooden spoons but Stynes believes the future is bright.
"I see it as the dawning of a new era. We have been through 15 months of saving and really stabilising our club," he said.
"We have restructured our club, and we've bottomed out as a team, and between last year and this year we have the opportunity through the draft to rebuild."
"Obviously, we just need a little bit of patience from everyone."
MELBOURNE has axed midfielders Simon Buckley and Shane Valenti.
Buckley featured in just one game in 2009 - the round one clash against North Melbourne before injuries ruined his season.
The 22-year-old, who was taken with pick 53 in the 2005 national draft, made his AFL debut in 2007 and played 21 matches.
Valenti was twice elevated from the rookie list and managed 15 appearances for the Demons including six this season.
TonyK
Cibbuano
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