As most of the footy world dismisses North Melbourne as deep in a rebuilding well, the Kangaroos are happy enough writing their own AFL script.
It's easy to look at 2017 as a disaster for North Melbourne and suggest more pain on the horizon this year.
It's very hard to sugar-coat six wins and a 15th-placed finish.
A serious play for GWS midfielder Josh Kelly and a speculative shot at luring Dustin Martin both fell short.
After the bombshell departures of Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo in 2016, the exits of former captain Andrew Swallow, Lindsay Thomas, Sam Gibson and Lachie Hansen leave the club even younger in 2018.
Their list will begin the campaign against Gold Coast on March 24 with fewer games played than any club in the country.
But there's no talk of gloom at Arden Street, where coaching director Darren Crocker says excitement is in the air.
"We're obviously going through a transition phase of being the most experienced and oldest side in the competition to now, when we're most inexperienced and third youngest," he told AAP.
"That's a fair transition in two seasons. And it excites us."
As a wise old head of the league, Crocker prefers the deeper analysis of the past season, which points to a much brighter future ahead.
The Kangaroos dropped matches to heavyweights Geelong (one point), reigning premiers Western Bulldogs (three points) and Fremantle (five points) in the first five weeks of the season.
Flip those and North would have been 7-4 at the halfway mark.
And let's not forget the 10-goal defeat of minor premiers Adelaide; the biggest win inflicted on the Crows all season.
It's why Crocker felt finals were possible for the Kangaroos last year - and are very possible in 2018.
"When we had our best players out on the paddock we lost a few close games. Five by less than a goal. Seven by less than 15. Then we got struck down by injury in the back half of the year," he said.
"That really tested our depth. It might be a challenge again this year if the same thing was to occur.
"Every playing group goes into any year wanting to play finals and we don't want put a ceiling on our expectations.
"Off the back of a solid pre-season, getting a lot of guys back into the fold ... anything's possible."
Here's some more upside for North Melbourne fans.
Todd Goldstein has put personal issues aside and is being talked up for a return to All-Australian form.
Ben Brown has emerged as a genuine Coleman Medal shot after 63 goals in 2017.
Dandenong product Luke Davies-Uniacke was taken at pick four and should debut in round one.
Other talents will return from injury.
"Quality players that have found themselves in our best 22 before like Sam Wright and Ben Jacobs," Crocker says.
"We want to get Mason Wood up and fit again. Taylor Garner too. And Kayne Turner who was really coming on.
"There's some real upside there."
There are certainly issues; Champion Data ranks Ben Cunnington as the only midfielder as 'above average', with captain Jack Ziebell, best-and-fairest winner Shaun Higgins and Shaun Atley the only other runners in the 'average' bracket.
Their clearance effort needs work, and an average of over 100 points conceded is unsustainable.
But with coach Brad Scott given the chance to rebuild the squad, Crocker firmly believes the Kangaroos are bounding into 2018 on a solid foundation.
"Scotty's re-signed until 2020 and the board have given him the confidence to go through this period," he said.
NORTH MELBOURNE
Coach: Brad Scott
Captain: Jack Ziebell
Last five years: 10-6-8-8-15
Premierships: 4 (1975, 1977, 1996, 1999).
Key five: Jack Ziebell, Todd Goldstein, Ben Brown, Robbie Tarrant, Shaun Higgins.
One to watch: Luke Davies-Uniacke. North's highest draft pick in more than a decade has the potential to play plenty of footy this season in a team crying out of midfield class. 'LDU' was talked about as a possible No.1 choice through 2017, and the Kangaroos believe they've got an elite runner with goalkicking ability on their list, already re-contracting him through to 2021.
Ins: Alex Morgan (Essendon), Billy Hartung (Hawthorn), Tom Jeffries (Werribee, VFL), Luke Davies-Uniacke (Dandenong U18), Will Walker (Sandringham U18), Kyron Hayden (Subiaco, WAFL), Tristan Xerri (Western U18), Tom Murphy (Dandenong U18), Gordon Narrier (Perth, WAFL).
Outs: Andrew Swallow (retired), Lindsay Thomas (Port Adelaide), Sam Gibson (Adelaide), Lachie Hansen (delisted), Will Fordham (delisted), Matt Taylor (delisted), Aaron Mullett (delisted), Corey Wagner (delisted).
Best line-up:
B: Marley Williams, Scott Thompson, Jamie Macmillan
HB: Sam Wright, Robbie Tarrant, Luke McDonald
C: Billy Hartung, Ben Cunnington, Shaun Atley
HF: Nathan Hrovat, Jarrad Waite, Mason Wood
F: Kayne Turner, Ben Brown, Taylor Garner
R: Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Shaun Higgins
I: Ryan Clarke, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Trent Dumont, Jy Simpkin.
Predicted finish: 17th
Betting (William Hill)
To win the flag: $126
To make the top eight: $7
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