MELBOURNE CEO Peter Jackson says the Demons remain on track to meet internal expectations in 2015 despite conceding some recent results have been "incredibly frustrating".

Jackson said people inside the club were getting better at holding their nerve when disappointments such as two losses to St Kilda struck, but he acknowledged supporters still found 'Petracca moments' hard.

He said seven wins was a realistic target at the start of the season, and while the club was not far off achieving that aim, he rated the performance so far as "around about par".

"Inside the club we know we're a hell of lot better football club now than we were a year and a half ago," Jackson told AFL.com.au.

The former Essendon chief expects the Demons to record a second successive profit this year, a massive turnaround from the end of 2013, and said they had more talent on their list and a stronger coaching and development structure. 

He said the fact the team had not been able to build on the win over Geelong in round 12 was "a frustration to everyone" but the club had personnel with the experience to make realistic judgments about what was needed to get better.

"You've got to be objective about where you are," Jackson said.

He said Melbourne's coaching structure and personnel was as good as any team in the competition and had the skill to develop an increasingly talented list.

"[We have a] core of strong young talent in the place and our objective is to hold them together in the next three to five years," Jackson said. 

Of regular senior players only Max Gawn, Colin Garland and Jeremy Howe remain unsigned, with many experts considering Howe likely to depart at season's end. 

Six players have made their debut for the club as it has used 37 players for the season. And that is with the club's top pick in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft, Christian Petracca, sidelined for the year with a knee injury.

Angus Brayshaw and Jesse Hogan have been impressive and Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch, Aaron vandenBerg and James Harmes have shown they belong. 

Unfortunately for the Demons, injury has sidelined Dean Kent, Christian Salem, Sam Frost and Jay Kennedy-Harris for the majority of the season. 

Jackson says it's obvious the club wants to bring more talent in the door and he thinks the team is not as far away as many think.

He said the win over Geelong proved their capability but consistency remained elusive.

"The players need to believe they are good enough to do it," Jackson said.

"They don't genuinely believe in themselves as much as they should."

Jackson said the performance of Paul Roos had exceeded expectations, his presence stabilising the club on and off the field in a way very few other people could have done.

Melbourne players are learning to win their own ball under Roos and play a style of football that will stand up under pressure as they mature and are capable of taking on a more sophisticated game plan. 

Jackson said there was no secret to what was required to attract A-grade talent.

"If you want to attract a really good player into the club it's going to have to be because he wants to be on the MCG 14 or 15 times and know he is going have a really good chance of playing finals," Jackson said.

"That is what we are have to build in the next one or two years, a belief that is going to happen."

A win against Collingwood on Saturday afternoon would add believers but Jackson knows enough about football history to know the path is bumpy.

And although frustrating performances annoy more than most can imagine, the people at the club were still "engaged and ready to go on the journey."