Signalling a shift in direction from a club that has pinned its hopes on high draft picks in the past five years, Roos told melbournefc.com. that he had a different view to most when it came to early draft picks.
"If you play one game in your first year that is a bonus for us," Roos said.
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"If we're a good organisation and a good team, young players find it very hard to get into really good sides."
The Demons used pick No.9 to select Salem and selected Jay Kennedy-Harris at pick 40 and Jayden Hunt at 57.
"My expectation of new guys coming in is that they have just got to fit in, got to learn some good habits [and] they've got to train hard," Roos said.
Of course, Melbourne has not been a good team for a while now, finishing no higher than 12th since 2007 so it has invested more hope than most in its early draft picks and raised expectations that have rarely been met.
Four of the club's six first round draft picks since 2007 - Cale Morton, Tom Scully, Jack Trengove and Jimmy Toumpas - played in round one of their first season. Father-son selection Jack Viney also made his debut in the season opener in 2013.
Paul Roos keeping a close eye on a pre-season training session at Gosch's Paddock. Picture: AFL Media
Jack Watts was held back but made a much-hyped entry to AFL football on Queen's Birthday 2009 against Collingwood while Lucas Cook did not play a game.
By contrast, Roos had few first round draft picks join the Sydney Swans while he was coach and, when he did, he was in no rush to play them.
In fact he earned a reputation for not rushing youngsters.
Jarrad McVeigh (pick No.5 in 2002) waited until round one, 2004, before he made his debut. Josh Willoughby (pick No.16 in 2003) and Daniel O'Keefe (pick No.15 in 2006) did not play at all, partly because of injury. Lewis Johnston (pick No.12, 2008) made his debut in round 10, 2011.
More successful picks under Roos - Gary Rohan (pick No.6 in 2009) and Lewis Jetta (pick 14 in 2009) - made their debuts in round seven, 2010 and round one, 2010 respectively.
However, Roos did admit that if a young player progressed quickly there was no reason he would not play in his first year. But he believed most players take until their second year before being really ready to be a senior player.
He played Dan Hannebery (pick No.30 in 2008) in round 16, 2009 even though Hannebery was still at school, having recognised his talent and capability.
"We want to be a good side where young players no matter what they are drafted at struggle to get a game," Roos said.
Roos did indicate that Jesse Hogan - who spent last season playing with the club's VFL side Casey Scorpions - was impressive at training and was on track to an early season debut.
Roos said Hogan was a high quality talent.
The Demons brought a mixture of youth and experience through the exchange period with impressive youngsters Dom Tyson, Viv Michie, Aidan Riley joining the experienced Bernie Vince and Daniel Cross to bolster the midfield.
Roos said the experienced duo had vindicated the faith the club had shown in them so far with impressive efforts at training while the youngsters were at different stages but clearly had talent.
He was most effusive in his praise of Tyson who he described as a "smooth mover, [who] uses the ball really well and is a good decision maker".
He said the club had been training well in the pre-Christmas period but was cautious in his praise.
