As the Cats returned to pre-season training this week, Chris Scott and his coaching team look towards season 2014 with new faces and opportunities in mind.

After the departures of some famous names at the end of last year, the Cats will have a different look in 2014 as the young group move closer to their senior debut or to cementing their spot in the side.

“We’ve sent a pretty clear message to the younger players on our playing list that we’re looking for players to step up,” Scott said during Thursday’s press conference.

“We’ve got some positions that we need to fill and there will be opportunity for those to step up and take it.

“Mainly the guys that have already played a fair bit of AFL football take our eye, guys like Cam Guthrie, Billie Smedts; they’re looking pretty strong on the track.

Upcoming match simulation and practice games will give coaching staff more of an idea as to who looks likely to hasten a senior position in the coming months.

With round 1 only months away, Chris Scott doesn’t believe the lingering pain of last year’s preliminary final loss to Hawthorn will be the primary motivator for success. He expects and hopes the motivation level is at its maximum every single season despite the result of the last.

“You shouldn’t try to fight the reality of the situation, we didn’t get everything right towards the end of the season and in the end we were a kick away from a grand final berth.

“That stings, there’s no getting away from that. Nothing we do from here on in will fix that, it will burn within all of us until the day we die I suspect.

“It’s just a reminder that we need to get everything right.”

The club began that process from the final siren on preliminary final night last September.

“We think that things are really positive at the moment but we understand the competition is as even as it’s ever been.”

To catch the full press conference with Chris Scott click on the video above.