Inevitably, the first person to feel the heat if on-field performances don't improve will be club president Don McLardy.
Two days after preaching the importance of stability, he admitted the club encouraged Schwab to resign in the best interests of the club.
That some staff expressed consternation about the decision and what it said about the notion of sticking together and maintaining a united front, shows the extent of his battle to sell the decision.
It was certainly the focus of the questioning at the media conference with McLardy being asked how anyone could believe what he said now that he appeared to have done an about-face in relation to making rash decisions in the wake of the 148-point loss against Essendon on Saturday night.
While many members will be happy Schwab has gone, those questions will persist.
It might be unfair because McLardy is a straight shooter, but he has been left exposed by his strong words in defence of the administration on Sunday and the board's actions on Tuesday.
The fact Schwab is a polarising figure among supporters and that action was needed to restore unity was his justification.
He denied any involvement from the AFL saying the club makes its "own decisions".
What he hopes is that the decision acts as a circuit breaker, freeing the club of the psychological baggage of the past and allowing it to evaluate current opportunities from a sturdier platform.
The next person in line to feel the glare if on-field improvement does not come will be the coach Mark Neeld.
The changes he has implemented need time to come to fruition but a lack of on-field competitiveness pushes sand through the coaching hourglass at a rapid rate.
While he is clearly suffering an overhang from some poor decisions of the past, he has also made a series of strong decisions since taking the job.
And the members are getting impatient for them to bear some fruit.
His most important words after Saturday night's game was his recognition that it was time for him to care for his players.
It was a characteristic he showed while an assistant at Collingwood and one that made him popular and respected by that club's playing group.
It's obvious however that the confidence of Melbourne's players need restoration and the quickest way to do that is to remind them of their talents and their strengths as they build an AFL career.
Gloom needs to be lifted from the team and players need to believe that the coaches have faith in their ability to do the job.
Neeld can lead the way in that area.
From here on in for the players it's about winning respect and thinking about how they want to be remembered. And much of that resolve should stay behind closed doors.
List management has been the club's major issue.
Although the debate as to whether it was recruiting or development that has been the problem, decisions made in that area will be scrutinised.
It's too early to rate the success of their recent trade period although many have been critical after just two games.
That strategy will be examined in detail to ensure the board is confident in its direction.
Tim Harrington, who joined the club in 2009 and is the club's general manager of list management, and Todd Viney, the club's general manager of player development, will be left to answer many of the questions.
With that area remodelled it has recently appointed people with the chance to make a difference in recruiting.
National recruiting manager Jason Taylor was not at the club during the exchange period that saw the club recruit a mix of potential young stars and recycled players and only began in December 2012.
He will lead a new direction with a good understanding of what type of player Neeld 's plan requires.
The two losses have brought all decisions under the spotlight.
As McLardy said on Tuesday, everyone at the club is under pressure.
Melbourne must look forward, acknowledge the mistakes that may have been made in the past 18 months, and get real about becoming an AFL contender in the modern environment.
