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MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos says nothing should be read into Jack Watts's omission for Sunday's win over Greater Western Sydney as the club prepares for an active trade period.
Watts, who dropped himself earlier this year and responded well, played 20 games this season but was left out for the final round and is regularly speculated about as a trade table pawn for the Demons.
Roos said the decision was made because the club is trying to "set up a really clear framework and guideline as to how we can get better as a footy team".
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"Jack had an outstanding eight or nine-week period in the middle of the season, but like a lot of guys he's dropped off over the last five or six weeks," Roos said after the Demons' 26-point win at Etihad Stadium, which ended a 22-game drought at the venue.
"He wasn't Robinson Crusoe, but we still had to pick 22. He was probably more stiff in terms of the guys who did play. He understands that.
"What we've got to try and get across to all our players is that for us to be a really good footy club over time, we've got to be consistent as a footy club."
Roos said the Demons needed to be active in the upcoming trade and free agency period and they would make decisions based on "two years of data that we've got as a coaching group and a football department".
He said the club was not sure if Jeremy Howe would be a Demon next season after playing his 100th game against the Giants.
"Like a lot of players they tend to want to wait and see and work out what the market looks like," the coach said.
"We obviously want players who want to be at the club and we'll be active.
"With Jeremy we'll see what happens."
Click here for Paul Roos' full media conference
Roos said the Demons had no option but to be active in player movement, because they would slip further down the order if they didn't try to prevent free agents from choosing top-eight clubs.
"I think where our list is at and how demanding the completion is, and how free agency has changed the whole face of footy, you have to be active," he said.
"What that means, no one really knows. But you have to be active because we've got to find ways to get players.
"We have to be active and we will be. What that ends up looking like, we'll wait and see."
Roos said the club's aim next season would be to "put a team out in round one that is really confident in its consistency over a four-quarter period".
He said the football department would face change in the final year before Simon Goodwin takes over as coach and that structure would be galvanised in the next two weeks.
"That's something we're talking about at the moment, more from the point of view of what does Simon need and how do we support him?" Roos said.
"But also, how do we make this team better quicker?"
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