But Scott knows football is as unpredictable as the bounce of its oval ball, so he wasn't about to make flag promises or commit to premiership timelines.
Scott was due to come out of contract at the end of this season, his fourth at the Roos, but North re-signed him for a further three seasons two weeks ago, securing his future at Aegis Park to at least the end of 2016.
It was a massive show of faith by North. No other AFL coach's current contract stretches that far into the future.
It also gives Scott plenty of time to complete the youth-based rebuild he started when he assumed North's coaching reins at the end of 2009.
The Roos had their share of reality checks from the top teams in Scott's first two seasons, but last year, when at their best, they settled some of those scores and made the finals for the first time since 2008.
With their young list the Roos should continue to improve over the next four seasons. But just how far up the ladder does Scott think they can rise in that time?
"It's very difficult to put forward what we think we'll achieve. My stated objective within the football department is that I want to create a great environment for our players to achieve individual and team success," Scott said.
"But even more important than that is to leave a legacy for our football department, to make sure that our club is extremely well positioned for the future.
"Now as part of that legacy I desperately want that to be a premiership legacy. But even overriding that is to make sure this club is extremely well positioned for future generations."
As Scott eyes the next four years, he is gratified that his players are showing they want to join him on the ride.
Skipper Andrew Swallow re-signed to the end of 2015 last year, while two weeks ago vice-captain Jack Ziebell and star midfielder Daniel Wells joined Scott in committing to the end of 2016, while explosive youngster Shaun Atley re-signed to the end of 2015.
"You've got two options," Scott says.
"You can beg your players to stay or you can go about trying to create the best possible environment for them to have individual and team success.
"Ultimately, if you do that really well then your players will want to stay."
Looking ahead to this year's home and away season, Scott is again reluctant to set – or at least to divulge – any specific goals. He says only that North is striving to be more consistent against the best teams in 2013 and to produce its best football more often.
Scott acknowledges his team will have to improve just to maintain a spot in the top eight. He says some of that improvement will come from mature-age recruits Ben Jacobs (Port Adelaide), Jordan Gysberts (Melbourne) and ruckman Daniel Currie (Sydney Swans/North Adelaide).
But he says the onus will predominately fall on North's 20 to 24-year-olds, who make up nearly 60 per cent of its list (23 of its 40 senior-listed players will start the 2013 season in this age bracket).
"We know what we're going to get from Swallow, [Scott] Thompson, [Brent] Harvey, [Drew] Petrie and 'Wellsy' [Daniel Wells]," Scott says.
"If those guys improve, they're not going to double their output.
"So we think that age bracket of 20-24 is where we've got some players of great capabilities, but they're a long way off their best just yet."
Two players in this crucial age bracket are ruckman/forward Majak Daw and forward Aaron Black. Both have impressed in this year's NAB Cup and look set to push for regular senior spots on North's forward line.
But Scott says Daw and Black will have to force their way into North's team, suggesting the Roos will start 2013 with the three-pronged forward line of Drew Petrie, Lachlan Hansen and Robbie Tarrant that served them so well in the second half of last season.
"I think for our fans it probably helps explain why we made the really tough decisions with Hamish McIntosh, Aaron Edwards and Ben Warren," Scott says.
"I think all three have still got a lot to give AFL footy, but in terms of our list we cannot have Majak Daw and Aaron Black playing terrific footy at VFL level but not getting an opportunity at AFL level.
"That being said, Aaron and Majak have both got to force their way past some pretty good players in Petrie, Tarrant and Hansen.
"So they'll all be given their opportunities throughout the NAB Cup and we'll have the information to make sure we pick the best side we can come round one."
Follow Nick Bowen on Twitter: @AFL_Nick
