Melbourne coach Dean Bailey denies the Demons treat their senior players poorly after Cameron Bruce walked out, two months after skipper James McDonald was coaxed into retirement by the AFL club.

Bruce, 31, surprised Bailey with his decision to knock back a one-year offer and nominate for next week's national draft after playing 224 games over 11 seasons with Melbourne.

"I really had no doubts about it ... I expected him to be here," Bailey said.

"I am disappointed he's taken this decision to leave a club he's spent 220 games with.

"There's no doubt about that but you swallow it, you get on with and move forward with what you've got.

"Cam will be a loss absolutely because of the nature of his experience and it's not just playing experience, off the field he's been very good with our players as well.

"You do lose leadership and experience but it means you can put that into the next group of players coming through.

"You've got a group of players who are really keen to own the football club and they're young enough to do it for a long period of time."

He said Bruce, who has been linked to Hawthorn, believed he wasn't a part of the emerging Demons' future.

Bailey insisted the club treated its older brigade fairly despite only offering a one-year deal when Bruce wanted two.

"You can read into it whatever you like but at the end of the day we offered Cameron a contract, we offered James a contract at his age as well so I think when you put it all on the table I think those two guys ... we were fair and reasonable with both," he said.

"We're in a situation where we're trying to build a list for the future and at times you've got to make those types of decision from a holistic point of view."

"We've made those decision and we're going to back our young blokes in to be part of exciting future which starts next year."

Part of that future could include former Magpie John Anthony, who quit the reigning premiers last week after struggling for playing opportunities this season.

"He's kicked 50 in a year in the AFL so not too many players have done that before," Bailey said.

"I think he would be one of many names who have the necessary experience who you'd probably have a discussion about."

Bailey nominated James Strauss, Cale Morton, Jack Grimes and Colin Garland as possibilities to take over Bruce's rebounding halfback role.

He also had some thoughts on the vacant captaincy position, to which Bruce would have been a frontrunner.

Bailey threw up four names for the position - Brad Green, Brent Moloney, Jared Rivers and Aaron Davey.

"I would say in the last two years their leadership's really come to the fore, and all four are good candidates offering slightly different aspects from a personality and playing point of view which is a really good mix to have," he said.

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