Demons great Garry Lyon says his former club needs to respond aggressively to the Cats, who have approached impending unrestricted free agent James Frawley, and used Motlop as an example of the way the club can hit back. Frawley has also attracted strong interest from the Gold Coast Suns and has been linked to Hawthorn and Carlton.

There is industry speculation he has already met with Cats coach Chris Scott and Suns coach Guy McKenna, where once only his manager Alex McDonald would have done so during the season. However, the introduction of free agency has changed recruiting methods, with players having greater power.

"If that is the landscape that we are going to live by - open slather - Melbourne need to get a grip," Lyon said. "They need to ring Steven Motlop, and I don't know what his contract situation is, I don't know, but ring him up - they [the Cats] famously pay unders and we admire them for it.

"But if they are going to go and jump into James Frawley while he still is supposed to be training on a daily basis, preparing for this season, then Melbourne needs to get on the front foot, ring his manager and say, 'We have got $700,000 for Steven Motlop. We know that would put him in a category at Geelong that they can't afford to pay'."

Motlop, one of the AFL's most exciting players and crucial to the Cats' premiership hopes, is contracted until the end of 2015. Industry sources suggest he is paid between $300,000 and $400,000 a season.

"People say, 'Why would he leave Geelong to come to Melbourne?' Well, he wouldn't. But it might just cause them a little bit of pain because right now they are making life very difficult for Melbourne and James Frawley," Lyon said on Triple M.

Frawley's management has told clubs the key-position utility is after a seven-year deal. It is believed he originally wanted about $750,000 a season on a shorter deal, but that monetary figure has dropped in return for an extended contract.

Lyon, however, was unsure whether Demons coach Paul Roos would want an answer from Frawley about whether he had spoken with rival clubs. Roos has said he would not play any player for the rest of the season in the senior team should he find out that he was committed to leaving.

"That's the other point. Because Roosy's public stance on that is so well known ... they mightn't want to know the answer to that because it then does force his hand because he would have to go, 'There you go, ship off to Casey [n the VFL]'," Lyon said.

"The suspicion is James Frawley is going [to another club] - if you are going to read the water."

Lyon has been critical of Frawley's ball use and decision-making, and believes he is worth only a three-year deal of about $1.5 million.

Frawley has made it clear he wants to play in finals, having not achieved that aim in almost eight completed seasons with the Demons.

The Demons would almost certainly be handed a first-round compensation selection in the national draft should Frawley leave. This pick would fall immediately behind their guaranteed first-round selection.

Higgins, off contract and a restricted free agent, has also begun to attract interest from several clubs. He has been approached by Richmond but, as yet, not the Blues, as has been reported.

Despite his silky skills, Higgins, 26, was overlooked for the Dogs' past two matches, having played in every game to that point after a 2013 campaign derailed by injury. He has been used primarily in defence this season but has struggled, at times, with the close checking this new role requires.

His manager Bruce Kaider said contract discussions with the Dogs had been put off until the end of the season.

"We have been in dialogue with the Bulldogs and they were aware of this a few months back," he said on Sunday. "The club are comfortable with that. We just want Shaun to focus on playing good football and finishing the season injury free."