MELBOURNE aims to make the finals under Paul Roos in a bold plan outlined at the club's annual general meeting on Wednesday night.
CEO Peter Jackson told club members Melbourne's objective was to reach the eight in 2016 as it attempts to drag itself from the bottom of the ladder in the next two seasons.
The Demons have not made the finals since 2006 and have not been in the top eight after a round since round 14, 2010.
"Time will tell whether that is achievable," Jackson told AFL.com.au.
Jackson knows the task will not be easy and emphasised the aspiration was to play one final before Roos departed as senior coach at the end of 2016.
"We've got to aspire to that because if we don’t, what the hell are we here for?” Jackson said.
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While the club has been ordinary on the field for so long, it has enjoyed a successful period of stabilisation under the leadership of Jackson and Roos.
Melbourne recorded a small profit in 2014 after a significant restructure of the club, has become more competitive on the field and is building a more talented list.
The Demons only have 22 players on their list in 2015 who were with the club in 2013.
They have recently added highly rated youngsters Jesse Hogan, Dom Tyson, Christian Salem, Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw and the experienced Bernie Vince, Heritier Lumumba, Chris Dawes and Jeff Garlett.
The Demons have also employed a new-look football department with Simon Goodwin to succeed Roos as coach in 2017 and have beefed up their development team led by former Western Bulldogs senior coach Brendan McCartney.
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Jackson said the club strategy also aimed for 50,000 members by 2017.
The Demons hope increased membership to be driven through a combination of improved on-field performance and a renewed focus on what Jackson described as the club's heartland.
He proposed that the club's heartland ranged from Malvern to the south-eastern suburbs, part of which used to encompass the club's recruiting zone.
"When you forsake your heartland, you're in a bit of trouble and I think we probably have [done that]," Jackson said.
"[We are] recognising that families from those heartland areas built this football club and it is those young members from those families that we want to talk to now. Let's let the heartland know that we care about them."
Melbourne has focused its energies on the City of Casey growth corridor after striking a 30-year-deal in 2009 and Jackson admitted the club was in an ongoing discussion with the City of Casey about that arrangement.
"We're not going to walk away from that entirely. It's more rebalancing up the effort. I think the effort was out of balance in the past," Jackson said.
Melbourne also has a new-look board with Steve Morris and Mohan Jesudason officially added to the board at the AGM.
