MELBOURNE has signed former Crows on-baller Aidan Riley as a delisted free agent.

Riley, 21, battled hard for senior opportunities at the Crows in 2013, finally earning his chance in round 14 after strong performances at SANFL level with Sturt.

However, he broke his leg in the opening minutes of the following week's clash with West Coast, ending his season and bringing his career at Adelaide to a close after 12 matches. He was hoping to be listed by the Crows as a rookie later this month but Melbourne made its move. 

Riley joins former teammate Bernie Vince in the new-look Demons midfield, which also includes trade period recruits Dom Tyson and Viv Michie, and former Western Bulldogs veteran Daniel Cross.

Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said the club had confidence the clearance specialist could succeed at AFL level.