PAUL Roos has opened up about the recruitment of Dom Tyson to Melbourne, believing the young midfielder "is an absolute star in the making".
The Demons surprised many by giving up pick No.2in this month's NAB AFL Draft to Greater Western Sydney, along with No.20 and No.72, in exchange for Tyson and the No.9 and No.53 selections.
But the Dees feel they can still select some real quality in pick No.9 and are confident 20-year-old Tyson's "special talents" will help the club improve more quickly.
"We think forward and back we’re pretty good, we’ve got some good talls at either end ... but the real key focus was the midfield," Roos told melbournefc.com.au.
"Dom Tyson I think is an absolute star in the making – and that's in the making.
"But rather than getting another 18-year-old on the back of Jimmy Toumpas and Jack Viney and Jesse Hogan, we'd prefer to get an older player with some other special talents and we think we've done that with Dom Tyson.
"We think pick two is going to be a good player obviously, but just having a guy who is a bit older and a bit bigger body (was important), so getting Dom was fantastic."
The Demons also picked up Bernie Vince and Viv Michie during the trade period before adding delisted free agent Daniel Cross, leaving Roos to declare their list overhaul a success.
But the club is yet to appoint a senior assistant coach, who will be groomed before taking over from premiership-winner Roos.
Stuart Dew had been identified as the front-runner before he decided to remain with the Sydney Swans and Roos says it now may take up to 12 months to select his successor.
"It was always going to be a process we were going to go through," he said.
"Whilst we would've liked to have done it straight away, it was never going to be urgent.
"I think it was really about getting the right candidate and probably more importantly getting the other coaches in place first, getting the players and then seeing if someone was available.
"I've got no doubt someone will bob up over the next 12 months and that'll sort itself out."
One man that can expect an increased role is Jade Rawlings, who was Melbourne's backline coach last season.
Rawlings, who has also filled coaching positions at the Brisbane Lions, Richmond and VFL side Coburg, will have some extra responsibilities in 2014.
"Jade's been here a fair while so we'll probably just elevate his status a little bit in terms of co-ordinating with the medical staff and the fitness staff," Roos said.
"He knows those guys a lot better than we do.
"He's been around for a long period of time and been to some clubs, so we'll probably just give him some extra responsibility.
"Sort of the glue that's going to hold the place together a bit."
