MELBOURNE forward Russell Robertson says the club's players have a lot to prove and aren't thinking about "tanking" heading into Sunday night's clash against Carlton.

The match at the MCG has been dubbed the "Kreuzer Cup", in reference to talented youngster Matthew Kreuzer, tipped to be one of the first players taken in this year's draft.

Carlton stands to lose the No.1 selection if they beat Melbourne, while the Demons will retain a priority selection at the end of the first round of the draft should they be defeated.

Some supporters and former players from the Blues and Demons have openly expressed a wish for their team to "tank" the game and lose, but a furious Robertson said the players were determined play well and win.

"I read it every day and it really makes me angry," Robertson said, adding that talk of tanking was "very insulting".

"I can only talk and speak for our club, I'm not going to speak for Carlton because I don't know what's going on there, but I know at Melbourne every single player that can play is really vying for a spot on the ground."

"There's no guys going out there just thinking 'oh well, we'll be finished in an hour or so or two hours and then we'll be retiring to a pub somewhere to engage in all that sort of stuff'," Robertson said.

Robertson said players will be desperate to impress the five men in the running to be the club's new coach - former Fremantle coach Chris Connolly, outgoing Essendon mentor Kevin Sheedy, Port Adelaide assistant Dean Bailey, Hawthorn assistant Damien Hardwick and caretaker Mark Riley.

"We've got a lot to prove," Robertson said.

"They are going to be watching us and they are going to be thinking to themselves at the time 'do I keep him or do I get rid of him?'.

"Every player, backline, mid or forward is going to be trying his utmost to play well and impress."

Melbourne's lengthy injury list - there are 11 players out for the season - means the club has only 26 fit players to choose from for Sunday's game.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Robertson hopes negotiations on a new contract will be furthered soon.

"Lots of stuff going on at Melbourne at the moment obviously and I can understand that it's probably been put on the back-burner a bit," he said.

Robertson said he had been told he was a required player, but he and Melbourne were still "just working through the nitty-gritty".

"I'd like to have been signed up, really would have liked to have been signed up by now but I'm not," Robertson said.

"Hopefully it gets done soon."