Taken from the age website

"Brock McLean will part ways with Melbourne after requesting a trade to join another AFL club.

McLean met with Demons officials on Monday to confirm his decision and the club have reached an in-principle agreement with Carlton for their first draft choice in this year's national draft.

The Blues have agreed to trade pick No.11 for the midfielder, who has played 94 games since making his debut in 2004.

It is the first official in-principle agreement in the lead-up to this year's trading period and is subject to the finalisation of paperwork during trade week, commencing on October 5.

The 23-year-old will also have to complete a medical examination.

"I have come to the decision that the best thing for my football career is to move on from Melbourne," McLean said in a statement.

"While it has been an extremely tough decision as I have given the club my all, I am confident it is the right one for both parties."

The Demons are disappointed to lose McLean, but say they are now in a strong position as they continue to rebuild their young list.

"It is very disappointing to lose a player of Brock's calibre," Melbourne list management general manager Tim Harrington said.

"Once Brock made this decision it was important that we secured a commensurate trade - this has been achieved.

"We are now in a very strong position at the national draft with four selections inside the top 18, all before any other club's second selections have occurred."

It will be the final uncompromised draft before the new Gold Coast club receives a host of exemptions ahead of their entry in the 2011 AFL season.

While McLean was one of Melbourne's top players, he has suffered from off-field controversy.

The Demons dumped him from their leadership group ahead of last season.

In May, McLean said he was keen to take over from James McDonald as Melbourne captain."

As much as I'd prefer him to stay it's not a despairing matter to me. I think pick 11 will contribute very well to the club's vision and it gives an opportunity for others to put their hand up and play a onballer role. Our midfield lacked speed, and in a way this could turn out to be a beneficial outcome for the dees, as brocky's speed was one of his weak attributes. I'm very optimistic about this trade.

As much as I'd prefer him to stay it's not a despairing matter to me. I think pick 11 will contribute very well to the club's vision and it gives an opportunity for others to put their hand up and play a onballer role. Our midfield lacked speed, and in a way this could turn out to be a beneficial outcome for the dees, as brocky's speed was one of his weak attributes. I'm very optimistic about this trade.

You're probably going to have to change your Log name too

You're probably going to have to change your Log name too

Yep, my user name will no longer be mclean_sweep

Changed to: dees87

Absolutely shattered, WAS my favourite current MFC player now gone, gonna take me a while to get over this one...

Gee, didn't see this one coming. Have to say though, we've done bloody well to get pick 11 in this year's draft for him though. Decent player but has been very injury-plagued and has had some awful games in the last two years. (Has also shown that he was potentially one of our top few at other times, too.) Have to say that I am positive about this move. Picks 1, 2, 11 and 18, that is just brilliant. Is that unprecedented? Four inside the top 20? And then probably four more picks, and pick 1 in the PSD. Geez 2014 is looking like the year.

Thanks for your service Brock, you won't be forgotten and will receive a great reception from the red and blue.

this is a bloody disgrace. THE NEXT SCOTT THOMPSON. the average pick 11 is no-where near good enough. In a draft where all the 17yr old have been taken out pick 11 is equivalent to a pick 20. Bloody disgrace, will NEVER get over this one as i'm still not over scotty thompson. We tanked all year to get a priority pick when we are going to lose our best midfielder anyway. WHAT THE [censored]

this is a bloody disgrace. THE NEXT SCOTT THOMPSON. the average pick 11 is no-where near good enough. In a draft where all the 17yr old have been taken out pick 11 is equivalent to a pick 20. Bloody disgrace, will NEVER get over this one as i'm still not over scotty thompson. We tanked all year to get a priority pick when we are going to lose our best midfielder anyway. WHAT THE [censored]

Hey man, dont FREAK out

this is a bloody disgrace. THE NEXT SCOTT THOMPSON. the average pick 11 is no-where near good enough. In a draft where all the 17yr old have been taken out pick 11 is equivalent to a pick 20. Bloody disgrace, will NEVER get over this one as i'm still not over scotty thompson. We tanked all year to get a priority pick when we are going to lose our best midfielder anyway. WHAT THE [censored]

Yep, still coming to terms with it. Although, if scully and trengove come to the club, where is the space for McLean (Don't forget Viney will come in eventually too). What irks me, is the bloody FD saying that we are now in a very strong position, re - rebuild. Um, we are trading away a player that is meant to be in that group of players.

It's like saying "i'm gonna sell my 2008 Volvo xc90 and buy the 2009 volvo xc90".

Yep, still coming to terms with it. Although, if scully and trengove come to the club, where is the space for McLean (Don't forget Viney will come in eventually too). What irks me, is the bloody FD saying that we are now in a very strong position, re - rebuild. Um, we are trading away a player that is meant to be in that group of players.

It's like saying "i'm gonna sell my 2008 Volvo xc90 and buy the 2009 volvo xc90".

Uhhhh... no, its a bit more like saying

"I'm gonna sell my 2008 Volvo xc90 and buy a car that will turn into the 2009 Volvo xc90 in about 3 years' time.

But if I don't sell the 2008 model, when I go to drive it next the key won't turn and I'll end up having to get rid of it anyway"

First thing's first - Scott Thompson, pick 16 in 2000 , so picks around there can be pretty handy, and Thompson developed well beyond what Mclean has reached at the same ages, so let's not compare too closely. Note that the Thompson trade worked against us primarily becasue of bad luck with injury problems to Moloney. He was chosen for both need and quality, he is now likely to be a top 3 in this years B&F and is a core part of the leadership group.

Secondly, the loss of the 17 year olds from the draft only cuts the numbers by one quarter in raw terms as previously only players 17 & 3/4 were eligible anyway, and those very young kids are less likely, unless they are something special like Josh Toy (Or Watts and Blease;) ), to go at the very early stages of the draft. Even considering it as the full 1/4 loss, that makes pick 11 as 'bad' as pick 13, not '20' as freak claims.

Finally, if we were looking at this year's draft and had a choice of a hard-nut leader but slow and injury prone inside mid on the one hand, and our preference out of three promising key forwards to work with Watts and Jurrah, which would you go with?

The fact is that all three parties, Mclean, Melbourne and Carlton, are better off from this deal. It's a shame that Carlton benefit but maybe we'll be lucky and Mclean's salary will be the one that pushes Carlton beyond even their creative limits when it comes to salary cap management.

Let's accept it, respect it, and look forward to enjoying our extraordinary draft that will set us up as THE club to hold back the tide of the new upstart clubs for the next decade.

First thing's first - Scott Thompson, pick 16 in 2000 , so picks around there can be pretty handy, and Thompson developed well beyond what Mclean has reached at the same ages, so let's not compare too closely. Note that the Thompson trade worked against us primarily becasue of bad luck with injury problems to Moloney. He was chosen for both need and quality, he is now likely to be a top 3 in this years B&F and is a core part of the leadership group.

Secondly, the loss of the 17 year olds from the draft only cuts the numbers by one quarter in raw terms as previously only players 17 & 3/4 were eligible anyway, and those very young kids are less likely, unless they are something special like Josh Toy (Or Watts and Blease;) ), to go at the very early stages of the draft. Even considering it as the full 1/4 loss, that makes pick 11 as 'bad' as pick 13, not '20' as freak claims.

Finally, if we were looking at this year's draft and had a choice of a hard-nut leader but slow and injury prone inside mid on the one hand, and our preference out of three promising key forwards to work with Watts and Jurrah, which would you go with?

The fact is that all three parties, Mclean, Melbourne and Carlton, are better off from this deal. It's a shame that Carlton benefit but maybe we'll be lucky and Mclean's salary will be the one that pushes Carlton beyond even their creative limits when it comes to salary cap management.

Let's accept it, respect it, and look forward to enjoying our extraordinary draft.