THE FUTURE is here for Melbourne.
Christian Petracca, selection No.2 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft, and Angus Brayshaw, pick No.3, are the two young midfielders the Demons are building their club around.
But do they command a place in your NAB AFL Fantasy lineup?
Click here for every Melbourne player’s starting Fantasy price and position
In a nod to his versatility, Petracca has been given dual position status and may be claimed as a forward or a midfielder in 2015. His starting price is $297,000.
Brayshaw can only be selected as a midfielder and is marginally cheaper at $294,000.
Early indications are that Brayshaw is slightly ahead of Petracca and, depending on NAB Challenge form, will be pushing to play in round one.
Midfielders Nathan Jones [$572,000], Bernie Vince [539,000] and Dom Tyson [$510,000] are Melbourne's priciest players, which is appropriate considering they finished in the top three of the Demons' best and fairest.
The Demons' players to present some value include, Colin Garland [DEF, $331,000], Max Gawn [FWD/MID, $320,000] and Ben Newton [MID, $192,000].
If hype is anything to go on, then Jesse Hogan [FWD, $194,000] should be an absolute lock in your AFL Fantasy team.
The young Melbourne forward is yet to play a game, however he has shown in one NAB Challenge game that he is going to be some sort of player.
At that price, picking Hogan is a no-brainer.
This time last year, Christian Salem's [FWD, $193,000] first pre-season hit a roadblock when he was diagnosed with a thyroid problem.
In good news, after promising debut season, Salem is back in full health and is up and firing this pre-season.
Salem is a chance to see some more midfield time in 2015 and the Demons have high hopes the 19-year-old can be a genuine gun in the coming years.
Rookie Aaron Vandenberg [MID, $120,000] may also be worth considering, if he looks like playing his way into Paul Roos' team early next year.
The ready-made on-baller collected 56 disposals in a game in the NEAFL last year, so he can certainly find the football.
Jack Grimes [DEF, $400,000] has been a popular member of fantasy teams throughout the years. But at $400,000, and having averaged 70.61 in 18 games in 2014, it's time to look elsewhere.
Grimes struggled with the weight of the co-captaincy last season, which has prompted him to ditch the title heading into 2015.
Grimes acknowledges he needs to be playing better footy, so Heritier Lumumba [DEF/MID, $402,000] is a more assured option. The former Pie is listed as dual position, which is a bonus for prospective fantasy owners.
Friday: we reveal GWS' Fantasy prices and positions for 2015
