GEELONG coach Chris Scott is excited about the prospects of his new-look team, believing the Cats have the potential to embark on another period of sustained success.
Geelong finished 10th this year, missing the finals for the first time since 2006, but Scott revealed the Cats had long targeted 2016 as the season it hoped to be back in serious contention.
And he declared they are well placed to "finish right up there".
Scott's bullishness is partly based on the Cats' successful off-season recruiting raid that landed Adelaide superstar Patrick Dangerfield, Carlton swingman Lachie Henderson, West Coast vice-captain Scott Selwood and Gold Coast ruckman Zac Smith.
"We instigated a plan probably five or six years ago to put ourselves in a position in 2016 where we'd have a list that could compete, and I'm relatively comfortable that we've done that," Scott told SEN on Wednesday morning.
"But it's certainly not a short-term play from here, either.
"We need to get it going as quickly as possible and get those guys jelling and understanding our system, but the four players we've brought in are (only) 25, so we're not judging the success of our recruiting strategy over the past five or six years, and the organic growth within our list, purely on 2016.
"I'm not trying to manage expectations, either. We genuinely feel excited that we do have as good a chance as most other teams in the comp to finish right up there."
In the short term though, Scott has other priorities as an assistant coach of the Australian team that will take on Ireland in the Virgin Australia International Rules Series at Dublin's Croke Park on Sunday morning.
He conceded that before he joined the revamped Australian camp under coach Alastair Clarkson he had regarded the IRS concept as "Mickey Mouse" and pointless, but believed they had "gone some way to restoring faith in the series".
Scott said the ongoing quest to lure Irish talent to the AFL was merely "a one-percenter", believing that the priority should always be to give opportunities to youngsters in regional and remote areas of Australia.
Geelong's superstar recruit Patrick Dangerfield at the Cattery. Picture: AFL Media
