CHIEF executive officer Peter Jackson says he has “no doubt” Melbourne will be successful down the track.

The club announced a pre-round one membership record of 32,623 members on Thursday and Jackson said Melbourne had set solid foundations for success in both its football and administration departments.

 “I know this club’s going to be successful because I know it’s got a talented list, I know it’s got a capable coaching group, who the players are responding to, and commercially we’re improving a hell of a lot,” he told SEN Afternoons.

“So I know with the morale and the culture this club is building, it’s going to be successful, I just don’t know when it’s going to be, because there’s still a very young list who have got to go through that process of growing up on the football field.

“Every successful club’s done it, they take their time [and] they have some ups and downs on the way through but I’ve got no doubt where this club’s going.”

While noting there was “a long way still to go”, Jackson said the club’s improvement both on and off the field was pleasing.

In addition to an improved football performance in 2015, Melbourne reported an operating profit of $562k, its second successive profit.

Jackson said recruiting and retaining “good people” at the club was crucial to building towards future success.

“In terms of philosophy, and I think this point is really important for the smaller clubs that have struggled in recent years, you’ve got to get good people into your footy club,” Jackson said.

“You’ve got to get good people who have good character and a good values system, who can make good decisions and part of that decision making is the people they get around them – and that takes time to do all that.”

Jackson said the key to future success was empowering players and staff with the responsibility of driving the club forward.

“The philosophy both Paul Roos and I have tried to put in place is to make people understand that they’re the ones who are going to drive this success,” Jackson said.

“On the one hand, the players, the coaches can help, but the players are the ones who have to believe they are going to win games of football and make this club good.

“Likewise, I can’t do everything from an admin point of view, the staff have to believe that they’re the ones that are going to drive the success commercially.

“We’re sort of getting to that point where both groups understand that, and that’s huge in terms of gaining momentum.”