Melbourne coach Steven King said he'd love to welcome Port Adelaide free agent Zak Butters to the club, but has indicated that his decision may already been determined.
Butters is being sought after by the Western Bulldogs, while Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood have interest in securing his services.
It is largely believed that if the Power can't get the star on-baller to sign on the dotted line, the Bulldogs are set to bolster their midfield stocks.
"We'd be like every club that would love him, but from what you hear, it's down to a couple and we might not be part of that discussion," King said on SEN.
"We're certainly doing work behind the scenes in letting him know we're an option. But that's probably been played out for a year or so in advance already, so we'll wait and see."
However, King and the Demons won't be sitting still when it comes to the off-season, which is still months away.
Melbourne is getting to work "behind the scenes" on continuing to improve its list, with a key area something they'll focus on.
"We've got a good blend, but we're still the fourth youngest team on the weekend," King said.
"We had 11 players under 50 games (against West Coast). So we're in that stage, we've got a lot of mature-age experienced players that are currently injured that will hopefully come back in the next 2-4 weeks, which will make spots more competitive.
"I've been thrilled with guys who have elevated their games like Tom Sparrow and Kade Chandler. They've had more opportunity to show the footy world what they've got.
"I think everything is on the table at the end of the year going into the off-season. We've got two first-round picks, room in our (salary) cap. Hopefully, people among the industry are watching us play and think, 'I'd like to be part of that', and if they can make our club better, I think everything is on the table.
"I think we'll look at our list in its entirety.
"We're young in some certain areas but you can always add a midfielder to your group with the way the game is played now. Someone who can play inside-outside. I like players who can play dual position."
