MELBOURNE unveiled its father-son recruit Jack Viney on Monday afternoon with the satisfied smile only bargain buys can provide.
Such an expression was reasonable given that only six hours earlier the Demons had their highest hopes realised when the GWS and Gold Coast Suns decided not to bid for Viney with pick No. 1 or No. 2 in the NAB AFL Draft.
That would have forced Melbourne to make a decision on whether to use pick No. 3 for the son of former club champion and club recruiter Todd Viney.
Instead the Demons got the player they rated as at least worth No. 3, and most clubs rated as somewhere between selection No. 5 and No. 8, at what spruikers might call the crazy price of pick No. 26.
Gillette Trade Period hub
It was by anyone's assessment good value but commensurate with the sort of advantage father-son picks can sometimes provide.
"If you were to give a description of a player or the type of player that we need to help us progress up the ladder, Jack fits that description really well," Melbourne coach Mark Neeld said.
Viney is a hard, inside player with a competitive instinct that makes everyone sit up and take notice.
When he played his first game of VFL in May for the Melbourne-aligned Casey Scorpions against Geelong he was the Scorpions best player until his jaw was broken when he clashed with Cats' veteran David Wojcinski in the last quarter.
He returned via school football about six weeks later and then played VFL in a carefully managed program that Neeld says makes him more likely than not to play AFL early in 2013.
"Keep in mind that Jack has already been part of this place for a year," Neeld said.
Trade Machine
It was a year well spent said Viney, learning the ropes from midfielders such as the Demons' best and fairest winner Nathan Jones and building relationships with the coaching staff.
His performances for Vic Metro in the AFL under-18 national championships were first class too as his team took out the title.
"I'm rapt," Viney said. "I've just wanted this opportunity ever since I could remember."
Jack Viney (r) with Melbourne coach Mark Neeld at the MCG on Monday. Picture: AFL Media
It was an opportunity he had to earn in the finish, dealing with speculation as to whether or not the Demons would use pick No. 3 if forced to by the Suns.
He then had to deal with raised eyebrows when he told the Herald-Sun last week Melbourne would regret it if they did not select him.
What he meant, he explained on Monday, was that if the Demons overlooked him he would use it as motivation to work harder. In any event his comments did not cause Neeld to choke on his cereal. They just reinforced that his initial impression of Viney was on the money.
"He's certainly a determined young man," Neeld said.
Today, confirmed as a Demon once and for all, Viney look unperturbed by all the fuss.
Because the decision as to whether the Suns might bid for him with pick No. 2 was out of his control he said he just focused on school and the AFL Draft Combine and let the rest happen.
And he kept things normal at home too not finding any problem in the fact his dad doubled as Melbourne's recruiting manager while the discussion happened around them.
"We had that really professional relationship while I was at Melbourne and I think that is definitely going to continue but at home he'll still be my father. It is definitely a unique situation but I think we've managed it really well," Viney said.
So relaxed was the atmosphere at the Viney household on Monday morning Todd even joked to Jack about the prospect of him ending up with the Gold Coast.
That it didn't happen was a relief to Demon fans and one suspects the club, who still hold picks No. 3, 4 and 13 as they enter the Gillette AFL Trade Period, although Jack considered himself worthy of a No. 3 pick anyway.
None of that matters much to Viney now. What he does on the field is all that is important. "I would love to hopefully play footy next year for the Melbourne footy club. I have still got a long way to go, a lot of development to do before that happens," Viney said.
