Melbourne is refusing to rule out selecting Luke Ball in Thursday's AFL national draft despite the former St Kilda captain having refused to even speak to the Demons about the possibility of a move to this year's wooden spooners in the lead-up to the draft.

Ball has been in limbo since St Kilda refused to trade him to his preferred new club in Collingwood during the October trade period with the 2005 best and fairest winner still hoping to get to the Magpies in Thursday's draft.

However with the Magpies not having a pick until selection 30, after giving up their first round selection to secure Sydney big man Darren Jolly during the trade period, other clubs could swoop in ahead of the Pies and claim the man considered the best recycled player on offer in this year's draft.

Melbourne, which is expected to use its prized first two picks on young midfielders Jack Trengove and Tom Scully, also has picks 11 and 18 and has not ruled out claiming Ball with either selection while Essendon could also pick take Ball at picks 24 and 26 while Brisbane, which has pick 27, also has expressed interest in the former Saints onballer.

And at 25 and with 142 games behind him, Ball is at the peak of his career and could yet play for at least another five years for his new club.

However Ball, who has put an estimated $1 million price tag on his head as part of his nomination for the draft which any club that secures him is duty-bound to pay, has consistently refused to speak to any other suitors besides the Magpies.

This even led the AFL to issue an edict reminding any player that interferes with the draft that he faces a possible 23-month suspension meaning Ball will have no choice but to play for any club that drafts him.

Melbourne list manager Tim Harrington said on Monday his club, which is on the lookout for an experienced midfielder after losing Brock McLean to Carlton, was looking closely at Ball.

"We have been discussing Luke Ball all along," Harrington told Melbourne radio station SEN.

"We have to decide when it comes to those picks (selections 11 and 18) what our choices are - whether it's a young kid or Luke Ball, it's as simple as that."

There is speculation that if Ball gets to his preferred club Collingwood he will agree to spread his $1 million payment demands over three years but will only sign a two-year contract for the same money if any other club selects him.

But the Demons remain unfazed by Ball's strong desire to join the Magpies.

"He has been resistant to all the clubs (besides Collingwood) that want to speak to him so far," Harrington said.

"But we just made the decision that we know what we are going to get with Luke Ball."

"We have done enough background work to suss out the person he is and what he would bring to the club so we would be comfortable just to call his name out."

Harrington said the club would simply select whoever it felt was the best available player for the future at picks 11 and 18 after it claims Australia's two best youngsters with the first two picks.

"We know Luke Ball will come to the club straight up and he will play a role, which would be a development role for the blokes around him as well, as well as what he can do on the field," he said.

"But what we have got to weight up is 'Are we missing a potential 10-year player if we take Luke Ball, who might play for (just) five years'."

"However it all depends on what happens - if all the (young) players we have really targeted are gone (by picks 11 and 18) then Luke Ball becomes the next best pick for us but we won't know until the day until we see what is in front of us."