Melbourne remain in pursuit of off-contract Saints tall Max Heath as the Demons look for a potential succession plan to captain Max Gawn.

With Gawn turning 34 later this year, and the Demons only having Tom Campbell of equal age on their list for 2026, the club is on the hunt for depth ruck options who could take first-string duties in the future.

Unable to find a spot at St Kilda, more so now with the club securing Tom De Koning from Carlton on a lucrative deal, Heath has emerged as a player who could benefit from Gawn's mentorship and the chance of greater senior opportunities in the red and blue.

With the trade period opening on Monday, the Demons have flagged Heath as "a player of interest" as they look to add to their list.

"Max is a player of interest. We really need a succession plan for 'Gawny'," list manager Tim Lamb said.

"22-year-old, 204cm, big, aggressive guy. So that's something we hope to bring in."

The Demons are staring at a busy trade period, with star duo Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver in line to leave for rival clubs.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 13: First gamer Max Heath of the Saints wins a hit out during the round 18 AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium on July 13, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 13: First gamer Max Heath of the Saints wins a hit out during the round 18 AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium on July 13, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Petracca is keen on joining the Suns, while Oliver has suitors in GWS and Collingwood, among others.

While the Demons may part with their two best ball winners, the Demons are in no rush to bolster their engine room ensemble via the trade space given the list of options they have at their disposal.

"We're in the market if it was the right one that really fit a specific age bracket and specific style of player," Lamb said.

"We're not just out shopping for mids. We've got a terrific group of young midfielders led by the likes of Harvey Langford, Caleb Windsor went in there for three games last year and showed some really exciting stuff. Trent Rivers will develop in that space. Xavier Lindsay. 'Kozzie' (Kysaiah Pickett) obviously rolls through there.

Pairing your AFL club with an NBA franchise: Part 2
Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney during the 2022 AFL Round 1 match between Melbourne and Western Bulldogs (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

"So we've got a really exciting young mix of midfielders that our fans look forward to watching under 'Kingy' (coach Steven King).

"The priority is to do the best thing that we can for the Melbourne Football Club moving forward with all this stuff."

Melbourne have already bid farewell to premiership forward Charlie Spargo, who has joined North Melbourne via free agency, opening up time for the Demons to secure the services of Collingwood sharpshooter Brody Mihocek this week.