That's the scenario for Geelong, which is rolling along beautifully, seemingly with the momentum of the 18-wheel juggernauts that regularly make the trip down the Princes Highway each day.
But Andrew Mackie – the deceptively-tall half-back who looks for all the world like a schoolboy who just wandered in and pulled on a jumper until he springs into action, at which time nobody would mistake him for anything other than a bona-fide premiership player – says the team has no trouble finding motivation.
"We have different little challenges every week – it might be something like with the Kangaroos, last time they played down here Haley (Roos tall David Hale) kicked eight goals, and they out-marked us pretty easily, so that becomes a focus for us this week," he said.
"So you do find stuff, but having said that, you can't take anything for granted.
"Each team, you don't know what you're going to be up against, no matter what the result they had the week before."
The 24-year-old, who was taken with pick seven in the 2002 NAB AFL Draft, said the Cats worked as hard as any team.
"We're under no illusions – it is hard work," Mackie said.
"If you looked in there (change rooms) now, we do get sore, but we just want to play the way that we know we can, and that will hold us in good stead going forward."
But he is far less comfortable talking about his own game than that of the team, despite racking up 27 touches against North.
"It's just good to get a kick every now and then – I really don't like talking about myself.
"Everyone chipped in, and I think a few of us had some high numbers, because as I say, we just pass it around and that's how it goes sometimes.
"(Unselfishness) has definitely been instilled in us over a few years now, and when it does come off, when we do use each other and help each other out it looks great, and it definitely helps our side, no doubt.
"Some people in the public sometimes think you're lairising or carrying on a bit, but we try to get the mix right, we don't try and lairise with the ball, we just try to use each other.
"Sometimes it doesn't come off, sometime it does, but we know that if we keep using each other and helping each other out, it's going to help us in the long run."
