Melbourne's decision not to recruit Jake Lovett as a father-son selection at this month's NAB AFL Draft has not deterred the teenager from pushing to one day represent the club.

Jake's father Brett Lovett was a gun half-back who sits 10th on the Demons' all time games record list, having played 235 matches between 1986-97.

His teammate in the 80s and 90s Todd Viney, who is now the Demons' list manager, was the person left to deliver the news to the younger Lovett that he wouldn't join the club this year.

The 18-year-old was told the Demons didn't have a rookie spot opening in 2016 and they hadn't seen enough good form to justify taking him in the Draft.

"That hurt, it definitely hurt, but at the same time it's going to give me a lot of will and push and they gave me a lot of feedback," Lovett said.

"I wasn't expecting much from Melbourne but me and my family were thinking maybe a rookie spot.

"I'd been talking to Melbourne for the past three to four years and we'd been catching up regularly.

"We just thought a rookie spot would be almost guaranteed this year."