PAUL Roos has endorsed Melbourne's bold aim of making the finals by 2016, but concedes the club's true challenge will be developing a "winning culture".
The coach also backed his players’ efforts over the pre-season to build a strong fitness base, which he said would deliver more ‘consistent’ results in 2015.
Chief executive Peter Jackson set the lofty objective at the Demons’ annual general meeting on Wednesday evening, with a finals appearance in 2016 high at the top of the board's wish list.
Roos, whose three-year coaching stint at the Demons will be over at the end of 2016, when senior assistant Simon Goodwin takes over the job, told AFL.com.au he was not fazed by the club's high expectations.
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The Demons have not made the finals since 2006 and have not been in the top eight since round 14, 2010.
"I don't get too worried about that (the expectation). Is it realistic? That'll be played out on the field," Roos said.
"If we can improve significantly and our young blokes get better and the coaches can get the game plan across, then you give yourself a realistic opportunity.
"You've got to aspire to play finals. There's a big competition now, with a lot of teams in it to win it, and it's hard to do, particularly from where we are."
The Demons finished second-last in 2014, notching just four wins (against Carlton, Adelaide, Richmond and Essendon).
Roos said the targeted recruiting of Heritier Lumumba (Collingwood), Jeff Garlett (Carlton), Sam Frost (Greater Western Sydney) and Ben Newton (Port Adelaide) in the off-season, having brought in Bernie Vince (Adelaide), Dom Tyson (Greater Western Sydney) and Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs) the previous year, was already paying off.
The Demons only have 22 players on their list who were with the club in 2013, and lost key defender James Frawley to Hawthorn via free agency in October.
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"Part of getting that winning culture is getting players from other clubs," Roos said.
"Hopefully they're driving the standards and helping to instill that winning culture."
There was some progress made last year, with Melbourne leading in the final quarter in nine separate games.
Compare that to 2013, when it led just twice in the last quarter, and you begin to understand from how far back the club has come.
Melbourne slashed its points conceded per game from 122.3 in 2013 to 88.8 last year. However, the balance between defence and attack was far too lopsided.
The Demons ranked last in the AFL for points scored (60.7 points), with the club's attacking struggles exacerbated by the unavailability of Mitch Clark, Jesse Hogan and, at times, Chris Dawes.
Hogan and Dawes shape as key figures in the construction of the 2015 forward line, while Garlett should add some much-needed spark.
"We were a team that could defend, but we were exhausted when we got the ball and we'd struggle to get it forward," Roos said.
"That's what the best teams in the AFL do – the two-way running teams. That's what AFL footy demands.
"That's been our main focus in the off-season and to become more consistent over longer periods in games and over longer periods in seasons."
An increase in the number of fit players on the track has also been noticeable.
Roos suggested each player needed to complete 25 training sessions prior to the start of practice matches, to be adequately prepared for the NAB Challenge.
The Demons had just 25 of the 44 listed players reach that mark this time last year. This pre-season, 38 have hit that figure.
"You'll find that we'll be a lot fitter in terms of what AFL football demands," Roos said.
"But it is a long game and it's a long season.
"Everyone's tired – it doesn't matter if you're the best player in the competition or the worst. But the best player in the competition can put that behind him and push himself to a level he didn't think he could get to.
"Younger players need to learn that and the quicker they do the better they become."
Watch the above video for an exclusive extended interview with Paul Roos.
