Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin only has to point to Kysaiah Pickett's re-signing to know the club is finally steadying the ship.
After a thorough off-season examination of the club's culture, the Demons received the ultimate endorsement when in-demand forward Pickett committed to a seven-year contract extension.
Pickett will remain at the club until at least the end of 2034 after signing a deal reportedly worth $12 million.
Question marks over Melbourne emerged again after an on-field argument between captain Max Gawn and defender Steven May following their King's Birthday loss.
The Demons have been rocked by a succession of off-field issues since the drought-breaking 2021 premiership.
But Goodwin was confident Pickett's re-commitment showed the club had turned the corner.
"It's a sign that we've got things in good order," Goodwin said on Friday.
"It says a lot about our footy club, about where we're at and where we're going.
"It's been a high talking point for a number of years now.
"We've worked incredibly hard with 'Kozzy' to make this a place that he wants to be and sees a real future here at Melbourne.
"He's always said for a long time that he loves the Melbourne Footy Club.
"He's just had to spend some time adapting to the Melbourne way of living."
Pickett's playing future at Melbourne had at times seemed untenable, given the 24-year-old's openness about struggling with homesickness since being drafted to the Demons in 2019.
The subject of rampant trade speculation considering his family ties to Perth and Adelaide, Pickett had been heavily linked with a move to Fremantle.
Gawn is well aware a long-term contract may not necessarily pay off, but affirmed the endorsement of Melbourne's culture.
"The 'Kozzy' one is a no-brainer," Gawn told Triple M Melbourne.
"I know in this world contracts can be a bit flimsy, but it shows the commitment from 'Koz' that he's keen to stay for the rest of his footballing life.
"I'm going to take that."
Goodwin, after addressing the team about the King's Birthday altercation, said Gawn and May had moved on from the one-point loss.
Gawn had attempted to open up the play in the final 30 seconds, but instead gifted the ball to opponent Will Hoskin-Elliott.
His mis-kick effectively stamped out Melbourne's hopes of a comeback win over Collingwood.
A frustrated-looking May remonstrated with Gawn, but the Demons captain pushed his teammate away.
"They know they didn't quite get it right on the day, but they're incredibly close," Goodwin said.
"They had a chat themselves, but I've also sat them down and I've also addressed it with the group.
"We don't want that look on-field, but we also understand we play an emotional game.
"We address things and we keep going forward."
Melbourne (5-8) won't waste time lamenting missed opportunities as they look to bounce back with a win over Port Adelaide (5-7) on Sunday.
Demons veteran Jack Viney will return after missing the past five weeks through concussion and a broken hand, while Port have been boosted by Jason Horne-Francis's comeback.
The Power have also recalled Jordon Sweet and handed mid-season draftee Mani Liddy an AFL debut, but veteran Travis Boak has been managed.
