North Melbourne coach Brad Scott insists that the time for talking is over at Arden St, with 2012 to be about letting the team's 'actions do the talking'.
After three years as an assistant coach at Collingwood, Scott took over the Kangaroos' job at the end of 2009 as a permanent replacement for Dean Laidley, who walked out 12 rounds into that season.
Scott has spent much of the time since spruiking his club and talking up the direction in which North are heading, speaking regularly about the excitement for the players of 'testing' themselves against the league's best while adding he doesn't want to play finals until his men are genuine contenders.
But after consecutive ninth-placed finishes following 11-11 and 10-12 win-loss campaigns, and a woeful record against top-four teams in particular during his time in charge, Scott says it's time to deliver.
"We've talked a lot over the last couple of years about how we're going to go," Scott said on Thursday as he and chairman James Brayshaw launched an appeal to Kangaroos supporters to help erase the club's $5 million debt.
"I think the time is right for us to just let our actions do the talking and train hard and we'll leave the predictions to everyone else."
"I think this pre-season for us, it's largely about just making sure we do the work."
"Where we're going to finish and how we're going to go is somewhat out of our control because we can't control what 17 other clubs are doing."
"As a group we're quietly confident with how they're going but your training performance in December means nothing."
Just back from a second visit to Utah for pre-season training at altitude, Scott is pleased that this year he has all of his players in full training apart from Cameron Richardson, who is recovering from hip surgery, and Daniel Wells, who cannot compete in contact drills after a blood clot scare.
Twelve months ago nearly 20 of his list was unavailable or on restricted programs because of either off-season surgery or fresh injuries.
"The medical staff have done an outstanding job in getting the players ready but we haven't compromised our training ethic and the amount of volume that we put into the players to simply get them healthy," he added.
"We think that we've worked them really hard, they're healthy."
"(But) no matter how good your coach is, no matter how good your football department is, unless you've got a fit and healthy list it's going to be tough."
"To this point, touchwood, we've got that."
"It is (a nice change) but we're also in December so we've got a fair bit of work to do."
Committed to re-drafting Gavin Urquhart as a rookie next week unless he is taken earlier by another club, Scott also had no news on the captaincy front, with no firm decision on whether Brent Harvey will continue in the role expected before January.
But having spoken of his confidence that Harvey will still give plenty as a leader even if he steps aside, Scott was also at pains to ensure North supporters don't scratch their heads at being asked to contribute money to the campaign to wipe out debt when the players have just been in Utah.
"We see that (the Utah trip) as a critical part of our pre-season training but it doesn't come cheaply," Scott said.
"And when we're here talking about the premiership pledge and reducing debt, it seems like a conflict that we're going on an overseas camp and spending a lot of money doing so."
"It's important for everyone to know that every football department member and player contributed to the majority of the cost of that camp."
"Executives came with us on that camp so that essentially it cost the football club nothing."
"That's something that we invested in ourselves but we feel it's important to success."
"So while we're asking for our members to join with us and help us reduce debt, they should also have the comfort of knowing that we'll leave no stone unturned in trying to improve our performance as well."