THE AFL is concerned about the state of wooden spoon favourite Melbourne, but will ensure the club's future is not in doubt.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said that Melbourne's new board, led by former champion player Jim Stynes, needed to back its plans with action.

"I wouldn't say their future's on the line — we support all the clubs — but I don't think any club wants to be in the position they're in and that's why they're doing something about it," Demetriou said yesterday.

"Whilst I'll say they've put together a very, very capable board, they've got a lot ahead of them, they've still got significant debt. It just doesn't happen with talks and now we need to see action."

Demetriou described the dismissal this week of CEO Paul McNamee after only three months in the job as "unfortunate". "If they had their time again they would have done it differently," he said. "I think it was just unfortunate. When these things happen they are never pleasant."

Meanwhile Demetriou said the league was keen to act as a medium to help improve relations between the Melbourne Football Club and the Melbourne Cricket Club. The Demons have long felt they have not received adequate financial assistance from the MCC.

"I think it's very important that the Melbourne Football Club and the Melbourne Cricket club have an enhanced relationship," Demetriou said.

"It's got better over the years, I think it can be even better. We'd like to help facilitate that, we'd like to be party to whatever we can do to help that.

"I think it's very important that they have a very, very close relationship."

■Port Adelaide veteran Peter Burgoyne will be eligible for selection next week following his one-game ban for turning up "in an unfit state" for a Power training session a month ago.

But the incident will not read well for the uncontracted Burgoyne when Port Adelaide's list management team sits down to decide which players still have an AFL future at Alberton.

Though Burgoyne has long been an established star, his age (30), history of soft tissue injuries and sporadic bouts of off-field trouble will all be factored into whatever deal he is offered at season's end.

Burgoyne was thought to be chasing a contract more generous than Port was prepared to concede before his ban.

Power assistant coach Jason Cripps acknowledged that Port have a long list of players with clouded futures, especially as maximum room must be found for youth before this year's pivotal draft, the last before AFL expansion clubs gain first access to the cream of under-age talent.

Other club stalwarts facing a difficult negotiating period include Brendon Lade and Michael Wilson, who will join Burgoyne in the SANFL today.

"In terms of our list management, Peter's like every other player on the list at the moment, we'll assess that at the end of the year, we're looking at a lot of players," Cripps said yesterday.

AAP