In a nutshell
There were more hits than misses for Melbourne as it continued its painstaking journey back to the finals. The Demons won 10 games, with only bad losses to Essendon in round two and Carlton in round 22 preventing them from featuring in September.

What we said in the pre-season 
We thought Melbourne would continue its rise in 2016 and that generally proved to be the case. The Demons won three more games than last season, managing to develop their young players and build a team full of competitors. The fact stalwarts Lynden Dunn, Colin Garland and Jack Grimes spent the majority of the year in the VFL pointed to Melbourne's improving depth.

What worked
After making headway in fortifying the team's leaky backline throughout 2015, Melbourne sought to reconfigure its zone defence and improve its offence this season. Both were a key focus of senior assistant Simon Goodwin and game analyst Craig Jennings through pre-season. The Demons went some way to achieving that, boosting their scoring power from 71.5 points per game to 88.4 points in 2016.

What failed
The Demons were unable to make finals, despite putting themselves in a position to challenge. Ultimately, it was Melbourne's inconsistency, often a trait of young teams, that proved costly.

Overall rating
B. Discounting the final two rounds, the Demons made solid progress in 2016, setting themselves up for an imminent finals return.

The coach
Paul Roos' final season will be remembered fondly as he took the club to the precipice of finals. Roos was clearly in charge on match day, but allowed coach-in-waiting Simon Goodwin to play a key role in preparing the team during the week.

The leaders 
After an interrupted build-up following off-season neck surgery, Nathan Jones produced his best statistical season in 2016, averaging 28 touches per game. Jones has turned himself into a polished media performer and represented the club with aplomb during the year. Max Gawn and Jack Viney were others to take big steps forward with their leadership.

MVP
Max Gawn: Named All Australian after a stellar season in which he became the top ruckman in the competition. Led the League in hit-outs and had a huge say in boosting Melbourne's win-loss record.

All Australian ruckman Max Gawn was a tower of strength in 2016. Picture: AFL Photos

Surprise packet
Jayden Hunt: Hunt was not nominated for the NAB AFL Rising Star award but, as Paul Roos argued, could easily have been classed in the top six young players in the competition. Improved markedly through the season as he averaged 15.6 disposals from 19 games.  

Get excited
Christian Petracca: Petracca, pick No.2 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft, bounced back in a big way after missing his debut season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The 20-year-old has the athletic gifts to be one of the most exciting players in the competition in coming years.

Disappointment
Christian Salem. Through no fault of his own, Salem's expected third-season rise failed to materialise. Melbourne had planned for him to play a key role at half-back, but a thyroid problem restricted him to just eight senior games.

Best win
Round 20: Melbourne 17.8 (110) def Hawthorn 11.15 (81) @ MCG

The Demons beat the Hawks for the first time since round eight, 2006, snapping a 13-game losing streak against the three-time reigning premiers. The win will go down as the club's best during Roos' tenure. 

Low point
Melbourne will look back on its 13-point loss to a decimated Essendon line-up in round two with disbelief. It was a terrible loss, reminiscent of the bad old days.

The big questions

• Is the club set up for a 'sustained period of success' as Paul Roos has suggested?
• Can Simon Goodwin actually coach?
• Will Jesse Hogan commit his long-term future to the Demons?

Season in a song
Getting Better – The Beatles

We say: Having navigated the tumultuous seas, the destination is in plain view.

Who's done?
Retirements: TBC
Delistings: TBC
Unsigned free agents: Jack Grimes (restricted)

How should they approach trade and draft period?
Having been active in recent off-seasons, Melbourne will likely adopt a wait-and-see attitude to the trade and draft periods. However, the Demons are likely to bring in Michael Hibberd into the fold after he requested a trade from Essendon. 

Early call for 2017
Finals should be on the agenda. Melbourne, under Goodwin's guidance, will be well positioned to make its finals charge.