MELBOURNE expects to receive more games in primetime slots in 2017, but won't purposefully lobby the AFL for Friday night and Saturday night action next season, according to CEO Peter Jackson.
The Demons played just one game on a Friday night this year, with a fatigued Melbourne going down to a match-hardened Sydney by 35 points in round 15.
Melbourne appeared in the Saturday night timeslot three times this year, although it had two away games against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval and West Coast at Domain Stadium, as well as a 'home' game against the Crows at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
"I've always taken the view that you get the fixture that you deserve," Jackson said.
"If you start to perform and play exciting footy then that fixture follows and we've seen that with the Bulldogs this year.
"It will naturally happen for us. I don't think it's something we've got to request or plan for; the way we play footy and the talent that we've got there, if we play at our best it's a great product to have on television and the AFL knows that and the broadcasters know that."
If the Demons beat Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday they will be assured of their first finals campaign since 2006.
Melbourne's full focus is on finishing this season on a high note, however it has shown in past seasons that it is not afraid to be aggressive when it comes to pursuing players from opposition clubs to make its list better.
The Demons have successfully recruited Bernie Vince from Adelaide, Jordan Lewis from Hawthorn and Michael Hibberd from Essendon in recent seasons, with all three adding important experience and leadership to the developing club.
Melbourne has been linked with out-of-contract Adelaide star Jake Lever this year, and although Jackson would not confirm the club's interest in star Crow, he said it was exciting that players wanted to come to the Demons.
"It was always an ambition that we'd become a destination club," Jackson said.
The Demons have seen a number of positive progressions in coach Simon Goodwin's first year in charge following Paul Roos' three-year stint at the helm.
Melbourne will finish in seventh position on the ladder with a win over Collingwood, a stark contrast to when it won just four games for the season and ended in 17th place in Roos' first year in charge in 2014.
Jackson said he could not speak more highly of the way Goodwin had handled himself in 2017.
"I think it's been absolutely seamless," Jackson said.
"The players have responded to Simon extremely well. He develops strong relationships with the players and that's the foundation of how he operates as a coach.
"As a result of that, he can have the honest conversations. He's got a very strong integrity with selection, which the players respect.
"You get a game if you deserve a game and that augurs well with your relationship with the coach."
