IT IS widely thought the chief contenders for the 2015 premiership are Hawthorn, the Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide.
But what of North Melbourne, the other preliminary finalists from last September?
Brad Scott's team were the bolters in the 2014 finals series, memorably ousting Essendon and Geelong in contrasting styles.
The Kangaroos' run ended brutally at the hands of the Swans, but that doesn't worry Scott.
"If you go back through history and my own personal history, you very rarely go from being outside the finals to pushing into the finals and progress right through to a Grand Final," he said.
"It's almost a rite of passage to qualify for a preliminary final and cop a bit of a reality check.
"That was my experience at Brisbane and as assistant at Collingwood."
What happened next at those clubs were premierships.
In 1999, Scott the player watched from the stands as the Brisbane Lions were belted by North Melbourne.
The Lions would win three of the next four flags.
And as a coach with Mick Malthouse's Magpies in 2009, Scott saw Collingwood on the wrong end of a 73-point loss to Geelong, before returning next year to deny St Kilda the cup.
It's a trajectory that excites Kangaroos fans, who witnessed more September victories last year than in the previous 13 seasons combined.
North Melbourne's off-season recruitment certainly suggests it believes the premiership window is open.
Mature midfielder Shaun Higgins gives the Kangaroos flexibility across the ground, while veteran forward Jarrad Waite is another tall target.
Former Bulldog Shaun Higgins has impressed since arriving at the club. Picture: AFL Media
But Scott is also keen to highlight the club's drafting success.
Over eight seasons the Kangaroos have retained all but three of their top three draft picks, giving their list balance.
There will surely be improvement from youngsters such as Kayne Turner, Ben Brown and Luke McDonald.
The midfield could well be the competition's deepest outside of the Swans.
Skipper Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell and 2014 club champion Ben Cunnington power the Kangaroos, with Daniel Wells and Nick Dal Santo bringing the polish.
Ryan Bastinac has become a top-level carrier, Shaun Atley brings durability, while late-bloomer Sam Gibson provides plenty of run.
After years of crafting his playing list, what pleases Scott most is the flexibility now available to him, typified by players like Higgins.
"At his best, (Higgins) is in our best side ... unfortunately for a lot of players, I could say that for about 30-plus players," he said.
"We're going to have a decent competition for spots."
The off-season at Arden Street hasn't been without setbacks.
Levi Greenwood's departure to Collingwood hurts, as do injuries to key talls.
Backman Nathan Grima could miss half the season after spinal surgery for a bulging disc. Defensive partner Scott Thompson is back after knee surgery, while Lachie Hansen is still in rehab from a hip complaint.
Scott says he "had genuine cause for concern in October" but was more relaxed about his defensive group now.
Up front, the recruitment of Waite will take the pressure off Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas and Aaron Black to kick winning scores.
And of course, there's the evergreen Brent Harvey, who should join the elite 400-game club in 2015.
It's a list that should be considered in the premiership mix - even if Scott isn't making any outlandish predictions.
"While we're pleased with the improvement, we're not at the level of Sydney, Hawthorn, a few others in that mix too," he said.
Needless to say, this remains to be seen and under Scott’s ‘rite of passage’ theory his team could well and truly be in that mix – right up to its neck.
