PRESIDENT Glen Bartlett says it is imperative Melbourne stays the course and continues to see the job through that it started less than two years ago, as it aims to build an era of sustained success. 

Speaking to melbournefc.com.au, Bartlett acknowledged that the past few weeks had been tough for the red and blue faithful.

“Sunday and the last couple of weeks have been really frustrating for everyone who loves the club. All of our members and supporters want to see the club progress,” he said.

“For my part and from within the club, there is no doubt that we are getting better. It’s the ups and down with the on field performance, which is quite often the last thing to show, in terms of results.

“It just can’t distract us from where we are headed as a football club. I’m very confident in the direction of our club. We’d all like more wins on the board and we’ve certainly had opportunities this year.”

Bartlett said he couldn’t thank the Melbourne supporters enough for sticking with the club as it rebuilds and continues to evolve.

“We’re interested in sticking to the plan and moving forward.  We still absolutely aspire to play in a final next year and I know that is something that the coaching group has discussed. Whether or not we need to review it – my answer is no, absolutely not,” he said.

Bartlett said the club had a “clear strategy” that it was following, as indicated by the succession plan with Simon Goodwin set to take over from Paul Roos as senior coach at the end of the 2016 season.

“We’ve got a fresh board and management group. We’re really happy with the coaching group that’s been pulled together by Roosy. Half of our list has changed and we’ll have a profit again this year,” he said.

“I believe that we’ve got the right leadership and the right people in the right spots. We’re very much on track, but I know that results like Sunday are just really disappointing and I’ve said it a couple of times but it’s a rocky road.

“This is clearly evolving and we’re on the right track, however I also understand our supporters’ frustration and disappointment, particularly when we win games like we did against Geelong, Collingwood, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs, and then we front up as favourites and we don’t produce. That’s not new with evolving teams and young teams who are developing, but it’s just frustrating.”

Bartlett said it was important to remember where the club was almost two years ago.

Melbourne finished the 2013 season with just two wins from 22 matches – the fifth worst season in the club’s history, since it became a foundation VFL/AFL team in 1897.

Only 1919 (zero wins), 1981 (one), 1951 (one) and 1906 (one) were worse than 2013. Melbourne also won two matches in 1914, but from fewer matches (16) when the season was shorter.

Bartlett stressed that it was never going to be a quick fix.

“If you go back to two years ago with the changes that have been made to the leadership and coaching groups, and with Roosy coming in, people forget how much Roosy has done for this club,” he said.

“The group of coaches he has brought with him – in my view – is one of the best groups in the AFL. You then look at the list changes and the excitement about our players and the development we’re seeing, it is clearly evolving but it takes time.”

Bartlett said significant change was taking place right across the club.  

“We’re on a big cultural change program to develop the right culture across the club,” he said.

“Anyone in business knows that when you embark on a cultural change program, you need to stick the course and it can take three to five years to really embed those right behaviours, so that they’re just habits. It’s not something that can just happen in one year or six months, as good as Roosy is.  

“What we’re setting up is the architecture and infrastructure so that we can have sustained success. The scoreboard is the thing that everyone sees and this year we’ve seen some really good signs but there’s also been some really disappointing days.”

Bartlett said Melbourne had planned to win “at least seven games this year” and was still optimistic the club could tick that box.

“We’ve got six and we’ve got still got two games to go. At the end of the season, we’ll gauge how we’ve gone but we can still achieve that,” he said.

And when you consider Melbourne has lost five matches by 25 points or less this year – at an average of 16.8 points per game – it highlights how the ledger could’ve pushed closer to double-figure wins in 2015.

“Whether its six or eight wins, the important thing is that what we’re building is sustainable and it’s something that can be built on for next year and years to come,” he said.

Bartlett reiterated that making the top eight next year was still very much an aim for the club.

“When I’m asked if it’s still our goal to play finals next year, my answer is still yes because when it all clicks it’s going to come together,” he said.

“I think that people saw windows of that in the game against Geelong and the games against Collingwood and Richmond. That’s why the losses against Essendon and Carlton and the games that we should have won are really frustrating.

“We’ll stick the course and there’s a lot of hard work in front of us as a club. The coaches and playing group know there’s a lot of hard work to do, but do the hard work and the results will come.”