Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson says the Demons have learned how to handle the expectations surrounding boom forward Jesse Hogan through the mistakes the club made with Jack Watts.
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While he is only five matches into his senior career after persistent back troubles, Hogan, with nine goals and averaging more than six marks, has emerged as a key plank of the Demons' rebuild, one in which Jackson hopes will result in a return to the finals next year as part of the club's six-point plan.
Hogan, 20, is not out of contract until 2017, but the Demons are likely to move next year to re-sign the West Australian, with the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle expected to pitch major offers to lure him home.
Jackson said it was crucial the Demons proved to Hogan their club was the best fit for him.
"He is a very exciting talent. I think the most important thing at the moment is to make sure he is a very happy footballer at the Melbourne Football Club. He has signed up until 2017 which is a while yet," Jackson said on Wednesday.
"We have to prove that we are good football team, a good football club, that our culture is right and that people want to be here and they expect to play finals. That is really the key thing that we have to drive first."
While Hogan is likely to emerge as one of the Demons' chief marketing tools, should he remain, the club is conscious of what a similar approach did to Watts in his formative years under a previous administration.
Watts, the former No.1 pick, has yet to develop into the footballer many think he is capable of becoming.
"I think Melbourne has learnt the lesson over that, and if we haven't, we should have," Jackson said on SEN.
"Jack is, unfortunately, symbolic of some things that Melbourne didn't quite do so well with young players. Roosy (coach Paul Roos) has been very clear from the beginning that young players are not the saviours of this footy club, it's all about development and working for the team and you have a role to play.
"We played a footy team last week (Fremantle) that was just extraordinary in the way they played team football and everybody for each other.
"Frankly, Paul Roos and the coaches' expectations of Jesse at this point in time are probably not the same as the public's. We just want him to play good football - he will progress and become a really, really good player for the Melbourne Football Club. Let's just take it at a step at the time."
Jackson said the Demons were yet to open contract renegotiations with the high-flying Jeremy Howe.
As revealed by Fairfax Media in March, Howe wants to wait until the end of the season to begin discussions.
"We are meeting Jeremy's wishes at the moment which is not to talk about it and just let him play some footy," he said.
"It's an important year for him. He wants to establish his value and we understand that and he has to play some good footy to do that."
