EXCLUSIVE: MELBOURNE has officially dodged a draft bullet and will keep its prized picks in next week's national draft on the Gold Coast.

But Adelaide was last night smacked with a raft of charges over the Kurt Tippett salary cap scandal, and will be hauled before the AFL Commission on Monday.



The besieged Crows could be banned from participating in the next four AFL drafts, with chief executive Steven Trigg and forward Tippett slapped with individual charges alongside former football manager John Reid.



The league's probe into Melbourne's tanking saga is not complete, which means the Demons will not be stripped of critical high selections in next Thursday's national draft.



The Herald Sun understands the Demons were relieved to learn in recent days their picks would remain unscathed because the probe is still weeks from completion.



The league's integrity officers were still speaking with relevant Demons staff even as recently as yesterday.



It means the Demons keep the cherished fourth overall pick in the draft - likely to be hard nut Ollie Wines - as well as father-son selection Jack Viney, already nominated at selection 27.



Melbourne still faces unprecedented penalties but but even if it was charged this week it would need seven days to reply to the AFL's probe, not enough time to strip the club of picks.



There is a growing feeling the league may target individuals guilty of orchestrating the "tanking" that took place, which could see heavy penalty for staffers but less focus on draft sanctions.



The loss of picks this year would have gutted the club given it is in a rebuilding mode, with Wines the perfect building block for coach Mark Neeld and Viney the son of head recruiter Todd Viney.



The Crows have thrown open their books, and after fully cooperating with the league investigation are in effect pleading for mercy from the AFL.



Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson last week admitting to the Herald Sun the Crows expected to be hit hard with sanctions for the next two national drafts.

Adelaide has acknowledged the charges and said it hoped its frank admissions and history of total adherence to the salary cap and AFL rules would be taken into account by the league.

