MELBOURNE has wasted no time signing delisted ex-Bomber Mitch Brown, locking him in for next year on the first day of the Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period.
The Demons announced a fortnight ago that the 29-year-old would train with the club in the likelihood of adding him for much-needed tall forward depth.
Brown joins Tom McDonald and Sam Weideman as Melbourne's main marking options in attack, along with mid-sized options such as Bayley Fritsch, Christian Petracca, Jayden Hunt and Joel Smith.
Mitch Brown celebrates a goal for the Bombers.
The 196cm forward, who has also spent time in defence, was originally the No.15 pick in 2008 but played only 15 games for Geelong in six injury-riddled seasons.
That could have marked the end of Brown's AFL career, but he revived it with an impressive stint as a 'top-up' player at Essendon in the 2015 pre-season series.
He subsequently spent that season playing for Sandringham in the VFL, only for the Bombers to draft him at the end of that year.
Brown became a handy contributor in the red and black, kicking 59 goals in 55 matches before being a somewhat-surprise delisting.
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"We are pleased to officially welcome Mitch to Melbourne through the SSP and have him join us as a rookie for this season," football boss Josh Mahoney melbournefc.com.au.
"Mitch has shown great resilience throughout his career, and is a skilful, versatile player who has proven he is capable of having an impact at AFL level.
"We feel his experience at both ends of the ground and his elite endurance will make him a great addition to our list.
"We are confident Mitch will transition smoothly into our football program."
Meanwhile, Harley Bennell has started training with Melbourne as he looks to secure a third shot at an AFL club.
The talented midfielder is also striving to win a contract with the Demons during the pre-season supplemental selection period - the system that saw Richmond secure Sydney Stack ahead of the 2019 season.
Although having previously visited the club and met with coaching staff, Bennell began the trial with a weights session on Tuesday.
Harley Bennell his the gym. Picture: melbournefc.com.au
The 27-year-old continues to recover from surgery on both calves, which troubled him throughout a difficult three-year stint at Fremantle, and is on a modified training program.
Last week, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said there was a chance Bennell still might not be right for round one due to the injuries but he was eager to turn his ailing AFL career around.
Harley Bennell on the bench press. Picture: melbournefc.com.au
"We're really excited about Harley," he told SEN radio. "He's certainly trying to really turn his life around and put a step forward.
"We speak about the love of the game every time I've caught up with Harley. He's 27 and he's still got a love of the game.
"He's emotional about where his footy has been and where he wants it to get to and he doesn't want to waste it.
We want to give him that opportunity to train with us, prepare as best we can knowing it's going to be a journey. - Simon Goodwin
Bennell was drafted to the Suns at pick No.2 in 2010 and played 81 games, kicking 92 goals, before being traded to Fremantle at the end of 2015 following a number of off-field issues.
He had a plethora of calf issues during his time at Fremantle and made just two AFL appearances for the Dockers, both at the end of 2017.
