Melbourne president Jim Stynes insists it's not all doom and gloom for the Demons despite a mounting injury toll ahead of their season opener against Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday.
The Demons have won just 12 games in the past three seasons and are widely tipped to collect a third successive wooden spoon this season.
And they appear to face a gigantic task to get off to the kind of start the club desperately needs to lift the spirits of their long-suffering supporters.
Not only will Melbourne take to the field against the 2008 premiers on Saturday with up to a third of their best 22 missing but the absentees are among their most exciting players and most promising up-and-comers.
Their best young player in Cale Morton is out until Round 10 with a knee injury while exciting forwards Liam Jurrah (shoulder) and Austin Wonaeamirri (hamstring) are sidelined indefinitely.
And 2008 number one draft pick Jack Watts is also sidelined with a back injury while another 2008 draftee in Sam Blease, yet to make his debut, is out until at least Round 3 with a broken leg.
Throw in seasoned players Colin Sylvia (broken jaw), Daniel Bell (shoulder) and giant ruckman Paul Johnson (foot stress fracture) and it's obvious the Demons are badly undermanned.
But Stynes, who's battling cancer, said fans had plenty to look forward to with top-two picks from last year's draft in Tom Scully and Jack Trengove set to debut against the Hawks along with James Strauss, another from the crop of 2008.
"We have got a vision for the future and it is all about our young kids, young footballers with big dreams," the Melbourne president said on Monday.
Stynes said the arrival of so many newcomers in the past couple of years had finally given fans hope of genuine success in the future.
"We have been down the bottom of the ladder and tried to find it (hope) and we have found it through youth."
"And we will have some of these young players for 10-15 years and they will become legends of our club."
"So we want our supporters to come and barrack for them when they haven't got a name and watch them as they develop a reputation."
The Demons might be the rank outsiders of Round 1 but Stynes says his team is not without a chance of upsetting Hawthorn. The Hawks have problems of their own with champion forward Lance Franklin and on-baller Chance Bateman suspended.
The Hawks' ruck stocks are also barren with Max Bailey, Wayde Skipper and Simon Taylor all injured along with 2007 best and fairest winner Brad Sewell.
"Every team suffers injuries and Hawthorn has got quite a few as well and you just never know what is going to happen," Stynes said.
"Who would have thought North Melbourne would have won their first game in the pre-season competition (against reigning premiers Geelong) and once you are out there you are always a chance of a win."
Despite coaching the Demons to just seven wins from 44 games, Dean Bailey was given an extra year on his contract, tying him to the club until the end of 2011.
Stynes said the Demons would not lose their self-belief even if the season started badly.
"We have been over 40 years without a premiership and do our supporters really believe we can win one? Well I certainly do," he said.
"It's going to be very exciting and we are all going to be getting to know these young kids better and what will be delivered will be delivered."
"We are just expecting a bit of improvement from everyone and whether that comes in game one or game two or game 10 it doesn't matter because we will stick with the attitude we need to stick with and we will get there."