Team: MELBOURNE

Ins: Tom Scully (Dandenong Stingrays), Jack Trengove (Sturt), Jordan Gysberts (Eastern Ranges), Luke Tapscott (North Adelaide), Max Gawn (Sandringham Dragons), Jack Fitzpatrick (Western Jets), Joel Macdonald (Brisbane Lions), Rookies - Michael Newton (Melbourne), John Meesen (Melbourne)

Outs: Matthew Whelan (retired), Paul Wheatley (retired), Russell Robertson (delisted), Shane Valenti (delisted), Simon Buckley (Collingwood), Brock McLean (Carlton), John Meesen (delisted), Michael Newton (delisted)

Draw: The Demons' draw is reasonably kind. They meet only three of last year's finalists - Collingwood, Adelaide and Brisbane - twice, and will benefit from 14 matches at the MCG including seven of the first eight rounds. In the first half of the season Melbourne supporters have been spared the Sunday fixtures they're forever grizzling about - there's only one in Round 4 against Richmond. But they pay for it in the second half when eight of 10 matches from Round 13 onwards will interrupt their Sunday roast. The Dees feature in just the one Friday night fixture in 2010 against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG in Round 7, and their only other standalone clash is the traditional Queen's Birthday assignment against Collingwood.

Strengths: For the first time under Dean Bailey, Melbourne has every incentive to give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time. The Demons' efforts in Bailey's first two seasons in charge were seriously compromised by team-building and the benefits to be gained from bottoming out. That's no longer the case. At last Bailey has the opportunity to parade his full array of match-day skills. Top draft picks Jack Trengove and Tom Scully will need time to make a meaningful impact on the field, but their arrival must surely be a catalyst for broader improvement.

Weaknesses: With a handful of exceptions, the Demons generally lack leg speed and their big man stocks have a collective intimidation factor of zero. Despite their honesty and professionalism, it's downhill from here for veterans James McDonald, Cameron Bruce and Brad Green, and the club's mid-career players are not exactly world-beaters. Melbourne must guard against allowing too much responsibility to fall on the shoulders of its talented youngsters.

X-Factor: It's a shame that his setback in Elizabeth has denied Liam Jurrah the opportunity to dazzle in his sophomore year. If only he was as tough and durable as Colin Sylvia, the player who has most to offer Melbourne in 2010. The 24-year-old has had his issues on and off the field but signalled last year that he's poised to join the competition's elite. His three-Brownlow-vote, four-goal, nine-mark, 37-possession effort against Hawthorn in Round 9 was as good as any individual performance in the AFL in 2009. Powerful, hard-at-it, a great finisher - if he can stay focused, Sylvia could be anything.

Best 22:
B: Jamie Bennell, Matthew Warnock, Joel Macdonald
HB: Brad Green, Jared Rivers, James Frawley
C: James McDonald, Colin Sylvia, Cameron Bruce
HF: Cale Morton, Brad Miller, Aaron Davey
F: Austin Wonaeamirri, Matthew Bate, Ricky Petterd
R: Mark Jamar, Jack Grimes, Nathan Jones
IC: Jack Trengove, Tom Scully, Stefan Martin, Brent Moloney

After Round 22: 16th. Sportal's experts predict incremental improvement from the Demons in 2010, but not enough to get them off the bottom.