Best 22
B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe
HB: Jack Grimes, Lynden Dunn, Christian Salem
C: Bernie Vince, Nathan Jones, Heritier Lumumba
HF: Jack Watts, Chris Dawes, Jay Kennedy-Harris
F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Sam Frost
Foll: Mark Jamar, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney
I/C: Ben Newton, Daniel Cross, Colin Garland
Sub: Dean Kent

Health of the list
Melbourne is fairly well placed heading into 2015, with just the two long-termers on the books. Prized draftee Christian Petracca will miss the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament at training in February. Jack Trengove is also out indefinitely after foot surgery. Much of the interest will centre on whether Jeremy Howe and Bernie Vince, who have battled hamstring injuries during the pre-season, are ruled fit for round one.

The big questions
Can Melbourne score enough goals to be competitive consistently? The Demons managed to improve their defence in 2014, but the offensive side of the game was lagging behind. Melbourne ranked last in the competition for points per game last season, so have focused on developing strategies to improve the flow of their ball movement heading into this season. Will it be effective?

Can the Demons show enough improvement this season, to position themselves within reach of their stated aim of making finals by 2016? Time will tell, however the Demons certainly have their work cut out for them to prove they are a finals calibre team. Melbourne has not made the finals since 2006, while it has not crept past the bottom four since 2011.

What sort of impact can Jesse Hogan make in Melbourne's new-look forward line? Melbourne has been very careful in managing the hype around the teenage big man, however there is little doubt he is central to their ability to score this season and into the future. Hogan is yet to play a senior game, having dealt with lingering back issues in past years. Finally fit, Hogan, who has shown his competitive instincts in the NAB Challenge, is ready to live up to the expectations surrounding him.

Summer standout
After having virtually no pre-season due to a thyroid problem in the lead-up to his debut year, Christian Salem did not miss a beat on the track this summer. The No.9 pick from the 2013 NAB AFL Draft has already shown significant improvement during the NAB Challenge and a move to half-back is bound to make him a more rounded player.

Fantasy cash cow
Mature-aged rookie Aaron vandenBerg [MID, $120,000] is a near certainty to be elevated to the senior list ahead of round one after impressing in the NAB Challenge. The 23-year-old once had 56 disposals while playing in the NEAFL, so there's little doubt about his ability to find the footy. He has matured as a footballer and is raring and ready to go if his name is called.

Sudden impact
The Demons say former Magpie Heritier Lumumba has already made a sizeable impact behind closed doors, particularly in the way he prepares for matches and his noticeable intensity at training. Lumumba was regarded as one of Collingwood's top trainers and teaching the club's younger players best-practice will be of major benefit. On the field, Lumumba's run and carry will set Melbourne up in ways they struggled to find last season.

It's crunch time for …
Jimmy Toumpas. The young midfielder is out of contract at season's end and is still yet to cement himself in Paul Roos' first-choice line up. Toumpas, 21, has played 18 games in two seasons on Melbourne's list and leading into his third year in the AFL it is time for him to start performing. The No.4 pick from the 2012 NAB AFL Draft has shown some good form in patches, but will need to do it consistently if he is to force his way into the Demons' team this season.

Pivotal match
Coming off a disappointing end to the 2014 season, Melbourne fans will look to round one to see if the team has made any progress. The Demons kick off the season against an on-the-rise Gold Coast side at the MCG, which looms as a testing game for the home side. Melbourne's traditional showpiece Queen's Birthday clash against Collingwood is also one circled on the calendar. 

The Demons will have a good year if …
their recruits make Melbourne a more consistent side. The turnover from the Demons' side has been significant with 22 new players arriving at the club in the past 18 months. Therefore, how Heritier Lumumba, Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett and Ben Newton fare this season will have a huge bearing on Melbourne's success. Melbourne is constantly looking to add to its list, so it can not just rely on its existing bunch to take the club forward.