Melbourne draft picks Christian Salem, Jay Kennedy-Harris firm for Round 1 after practice match

MELBOURNE draft picks Christian Salem and Jay Kennedy-Harris sparkle but injury pain for Luke Tapscott, Chris Dawes.

MELBOURNE’S run of misfortune at the draft table looks set to turn as the club’s top two picks from last year continue to firm for Round 1 debuts.

Coach Paul Roos has said he is reluctant to expose his youngsters to the AFL ahead of time, but midfielder Chris Salem (No.9) and livewire forward Jay Kennedy-Harris (No.40) could yet force their way in after sparkling again in an intra-club match.

SEE MORE ACTION PICS FROM THE DEES’ SCRATCH MATCH BELOW

Kennedy-Harris, who bagged three goals against Richmond in the NAB Challenge, was again dangerous around goals, while left-footer Salem stood out with his classy disposal and finishing forward.

It provides Roos with a welcome first-year selection conundrum ahead of the club’s season-opener against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium in one month.

News_Image_File: Luke Tapscott is tackled by Jack Viney moments before injuring his knee. Picture: Morgan Hancock

News_Image_File: Tapscott grabs his injured knee. Picture: Morgan Hancock

DEES’ AMAZING STATS SHEET

The club came under fierce scrutiny for dealing away its No.2 pick (Josh Kelly) for Salem in last year’s trade period.

But the man it gained in that swap, Dom Tyson, also excelled around the stoppages yesterday in a best-afield performance.

Football manager Josh Mahoney said Kennedy-Harris and Salem could yet seal Round 1 berths if they continued to shine next week against Geelong and in the final practice game against Hawthorn.

“If the young guys are performing well enough they will pick themselves,” Mahoney said.

“Roosy is not putting any expectations on the guys, but if they come in and look comfortable and look like they are handling the loads of AFL footy and playing well enough, I’m sure they will be picked in the team.”

News_Image_File: Daniel Cross ran sprints as his teammates took part in the intra-club hitout. Picture: Mark Stewart

But there was a blow for utility Luke Tapscott, who faces up to another month on the sidelines after injuring the medial ligament in his right knee in an early tackle from Jack Viney.

Key big men Chris Dawes, Jesse Hogan, Max Gawn and Jack Fitzpatrick all played yesterday and will step up their pre-season campaigns against Geelong in Alice Springs on Friday night.

Dawes was the most impressive of the four yesterday, taking some strong marks at centre half forward. Importantly, Hogan and Dawes’ running seemed unaffected by recent knee problems, which required heavy strapping.

But Dawes suffered a setback after the match when he suffered calf tightness that required ice.

Mahoney said they were racing to prove their fitness ahead of Round 1.

“It is crucial for our game plan to have some talls,” Mahoney said.

“We have quite a few on our list at the moment. Ideally we would have them all fit and ready to go and the plan is to get them all ready for Round 1.

“But if they’re not ready to go, we won’t play them. We won’t be risking them at this stage.”

In another positive, Jack Watts was quick and clean bursting away from traffic in the hour-long hit-out. He missed the win over the Tigers due to illness but is set to take on the Cats.

News_Image_File: Rohan Bail runs into a dead end. Picture: Mark Stewart

After the lows of recent seasons, Mahoney said last week’s surprise NAB Challenge win over Richmond has further fuelled confidence levels at AAMI Park.

“I think the playing group right now are buzzing around the footy club,” he said.

“What they’ve been through the last three or four years has built a lot of resilience through the group and know they are starting to see the benefits of training hard and they have got a lot of trust out of that win on Friday night.

“If that continues to build — you never know with the group we can put together if they get some confidence — what this group can do.”

A clutch of senior players sat out yesterday’s practice match, including Nathan Jones, Jack Grimes, Bernie Vince and James Frawley. Mark Jamar missed with injury.

News_Image_File: Dean Terlich changes direction. Picture: Mark Stewart. News_Image_File: The smoky of the 2013 National Draft Jayden Hunt looks further down field. Picture: Mark Stewart News_Image_File: Jay Kennedy-Harris looks a strong chance to play in Round 1 after another impressive performance. Picture: Mark Stewart News_Image_File: Neville Jetta hot on the heels of Casey player Mitch Gent. Picture: Mark Stewart News_Image_File: Paul Roos provides direction during the intra-club match. Picture: Mark Stewart News_Image_File: Senior players Nathan Jones, Daniel Cross, Cam Pedersen and James Frawley did not play in the game. Picture: Mark Stewart

Senior players Nathan Jones, Daniel Cross, Cam Pedersen and James Frawley did not play in the game. Picture: Mark Stewart