If he was a more selfish individual, you could understand North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin privately viewing any improvement by the Roos as something of a double-edged sword.
North Melbourne was arguably at its lowest ebb when Simpkin won consecutive best and fairest awards in 2021-22, not only devoid of success but sorely lacking the tools or talent to improve.
But that stockpile of precocious young tyros has grown significantly since then, most significantly in the midfield in which Simpkin often would play a conspicuously lone hand.
So much so that last year, the skipper was often by sheer weight of numbers pushed out of the on-ball group and on to a half-forward flank, that coming after a delayed start to the season, Simpkin severely concussed after being brutally dealt with by St Kilda's Jimmy Webster in a practice match.
Even now, it's not like he has a free hand to concentrate on getting back to his best. Because in his third year as a North Melbourne captain, Simpkin is in 2025 taking on the role solo, his former co-skipper Luke McDonald having stood down.
That's several sorts of pressure. But having just turned 27 and now with eight seasons and 152 games under his belt, Simpkin remains genuinely excited about what's ahead, believing that North Melbourne, after one of the most abject periods of its history, is finally ready to take some serious strides up the ladder. And whatever role he plays in that is fine by him.
"Yeah, there's so many of us that can go through there now," said Simpkin, speaking to ESPN at the AFL Captains' Day.
"Harry Sheezel is obviously already a star. Tom Power had a great season last year and he'll look to improve again. Guys like George Wardlaw and LDU (Luke Davies-Uniacke), or now we've got Luke Parker ... I think it's just finding that balance for everyone. It's about what works best for the team. You might have a preferred position, but if it doesn't work for the team, then you've just got to sort of work around that."
Simpkin doesn't specifically mention himself there, but he doesn't need to, either. Because the skipper is the best example of a North player who has had to adjust his own role and game for the good of the side.
"What I've got to do over the next couple of years is really try to buckle down this sort of half-forward role while still getting a little bit of time in there (midfield) as well. So I'm just happy to do what's best for the team. And hopefully I can produce some good footy by doing that."
Simpkin remains defiantly upbeat, too, about North Melbourne's prospects of making significantly more out of this season than any for six years now, a barren period indeed even by the standards of the club which infamously took 50 years to win its first premiership in league company.
The Roos have finished bottom two on the ladder each of the past five seasons, winning just 15 of their past 107 games, a miserable strike rate of just 14 per cent, a period in which they also churned through six different senior coaches.
But after an interrupted start to his coaching tenure at Arden Street, Alastair Clarkson saddles up for a third season in charge. And the significant addition of three experienced hands in Parker, Jack Darling and Caleb Daniel gives North a different, more imposing look headed into the new football year.
"We're not here to make up the numbers," Simpkin says boldly. "We want to be pushing for a finals spot, and we don't want to put a cap or ceiling on anything we can achieve. I've got no doubt we're going to improve this year."
The arrival of the trio of experienced imports has certainly helped spread the leadership load. And according to Simpkin, the impact has been noticeable right through the Roos' pre-season.
"They've all won flags, they've all been at the pointy end when it matters, so to have those guys come in has just been such a great thing for the club," he says. "You know they're great leaders on and off the field, they train hard, and the boys are learning a lot from them. I can't wait to see what they produce for us."
"It's just their ability to help teach, just to have another three helping hands out there as more experienced senior guys is so invaluable for the young guys coming through, and those new draftees. You look up out there now, and you can see five, six, seven, eight of those older, more experienced guys out there, compared to the last couple of years where it's probably been left to too few."
Darling is an obvious "chop-out" for the often-overworked North Melbourne spearhead Nick Larkey, but Parker and Daniel also bring the advantage of some positional flexibility.
"I think Caleb Daniel will play predominantly off half-back," Simpkin says. "We all know how good his foot skills are, he's such a great kick, and he will hopefully set us up very well. Then Luke Parker will play a bit of midfield and a bit forward as well. His grunt inside the contest is going to be a real key for us to help guys like LDU and Sheezel on the outside."
The biggest required improvement according to the skipper is still in defence, where the Roos' were a long last for scores conceded in 2024, giving up an average 111 points per game.
"How we can knuckle down and improve that has been a fair talking point over the pre-season," he says. "I think our contest stuff is pretty good with our midfield brigade, and we've got a pretty dangerous forward line, so if we can work on our team 'D' and tighten a few screws around that I think that will hold us in good stead."
It's a good test for the Roos, who open their campaign on Saturday night against the Western Bulldogs. And, of course, a pretty big test for the North Melbourne captain, too, who has his own point to prove.
You can read more of Rohan Connolly's work at FOOTYOLOGY.