It averaged just 40 inside 50s in 2013, matching only Greater Western Sydney for the season, with both sides six inside 50s per game off the next worst, St Kilda.
The move to get Dom Tyson, who stands at 187cm, and the desire to get Jack Watts around the ball shows that Paul Roos understands you need height and power at stoppages.
A quick look at the best combinations shows success starts with power around the ball.
That means Max Bailey with Sam Mitchell/Jordan Lewis/Brad Sewell or Shane Mumford with the Sydney Swans' crop of midfielders or Brad Ottens with Cameron Ling or Darren Jolly with Luke Ball giving a team what is needed to get the wheels moving.
Taylor Adams would have been a handy pick-up too to address that deficiency but he declared that he didn't want to go to Melbourne before they even had a chance to speak to him.
So Cross and Tyson come in to add some experienced in-and-under power with Nathan Jones, Jordie McKenzie and the emerging Jack Viney.
It's a more versatile mix, and will allow Viv Michie, Jimmy Toumpas, and whoever is selected with No.9 pick, to develop their inside game while using their outside strength immediately.
Bernie Vince and Jack Trengove will be expected to play smart to feed off the inside players and Mark Jamar, quite simply, must lift.
The added bonus is that Jack Grimes, who shapes as a quality defensive flanker, will not be expected to play in the midfield and Jeremy Howe will only do so if required.
So they have added much needed depth but how much closer does it move them to the best teams?
Despite the boost in depth, statistics show much work lies ahead of new midfield coach George Stone and Roos' for the Demons crop to match what the Sydney Swans midfielders have produced.
Taking the averages per game in a range of areas of the top six midfielders from each team makes for an interesting comparison.
The Joneses (Nathan and Matt), Trengove, Vince, Viney and Tyson are way behind the Sydney Swans' Jarrad McVeigh, Daniel Hannebery, Kieren Jack, Josh Kennedy, Ryan O'Keefe and Luke Parker when it comes to a range of statistical measures.
The Melbourne six average 43.6 contested, 68.8 uncontested possessions and 111.7 disposals per game compared to the Swans group's 68.5 contested, 78.7 uncontested possessions and 149.1 disposals per game.
Obviously, Cross's addition – he averages 23.1 disposals a game through his career (and 22 in 2013) – will assist. He could add what Craig Bird delivers to the Swans.
Viney will become a grunt player in the mould of Hannebery in time while only McVeigh (who averages 460m gained per game) and Jack (454.3m) outrank Vince (370.7m) when it comes to that all-important measure.
Dom Barry and Sam Blease need to provide what Lewis Jetta and Gary Rohan have shown they are capable of producing. But they are unlikely to do so in 2014.
In 2013, the Swans topped the AFL for average clearances and were fourth on the differential tables while the Demons were on the bottom of both measures.
Of course, the average age of the Swans six midfielders at round one next year will be about two years ahead of the Demons' lot, so Roos will need some time to make his mark.
Melbourne is realistic about the steps it has taken during the trade period and continues to take a long-term view.
Football manager Josh Mahoney's comments to Gillette Trade Radio 10 days ago in relation to Tyson show that.
"He is 187cm. He is a tall midfielder. He is very good inside stoppage player. He is calm. He makes good decisions. That mix of player, already with our other midfield players Jack Viney and Nathan Jones, is a perfect combination for us going forward for the next 10 years."
Melbourne's approach is reminiscent of the strategy Richmond employed in 2011 after it finished 15th and needed to rebuild from a series of draft bombs that happened before Damien Hardwick arrived, when it added Bachar Houli and Shaun Grigg to its midfield mix.
The Tigers have added a quality first round midfielder through the draft every year since, something Melbourne should do this year. Yet it took them until this season to reach the finals.
Experienced coaches often say one hasn't really coached until they have coached a bottom team.
Roos is about to really coach.
And how much the midfield improves will be his first test. But don't expect miracles.
Stats supplied by Champion Data
