JAKE STICKING WITH DEES

MELBOURNE forward Jake Melksham will see out his contract at the Demons next year after considering a move to a third AFL club.

Melksham played only 12 games at the Demons this year as the new wave of small forwards took over, playing his last game in round 22.

The former Essendon player, who crossed to the Demons and then sat out 12 months through the Dons player bans, had been a dangerous goalkicking forward who kicked 32 goals in 2018.

But he fell out of favour as Kysaiah Pickett, Charlie Spargo and Alex Neal-Bullen all played effective roles in the finals as small forwards alongside Ben Brown, Luke Jackson, Tom McDonald and Bayley Fritsch.

Rivals keen for mid-sized forwards do not have the salary cap for a player of Melksham’s calibre.