Stinear on the challenge in Round 1

It is a brilliant way to start, I know that this group holds no fears of playing North.

We certainly respect them and what they have been able to do, we have had some close battles over the years. It is a great way for us to start and to get a gage of where we are at.

I certainly think from a talent perspective, we have got what it takes to contend with the best.

It will just be whether or not we can pull it all together and be ready for Round 1. 

Stinear on his new role

I absolutely loved my time at Melbourne and was very grateful for that opportunity, but it has been brilliant to start working at another really strong football club.

I have loved my time here over the last six or seven months, getting to know the players and getting to work with the staff. I feel like the program has been set up really well by Dom Condo, who is our General Manager.

I just feel really well supported from the club as a whole, it has been nice working with a few different personalities and trying to unlock their strengths. Then working with the new coaching team, Ryan Pendlebury, Sam Simpson, Elise Coventry, even Kate Darby has come back as our rucks coach.

I am really enjoying it and looking forward to transferring that onto the footy field, and seeing a side play with great passion and energy. 

Stinear on playing at Marvel Stadium

It will probably heighten our ability to execute the little things well.

North are pretty unforgiving if you don't use the ball well or if you make basic errors, their ability to score from turnover is pretty high.

I think our capacity to control the ball will be more important, we won't be able to rush and blaze away, and feed their turnover game.

Overall, in terms of how we want to play, hopefully like you said it enhances the way we want to play and the brand of footy we want to play. 

Stinear on the adaptability of the playing group

They are really coachable, and also just having a couple of seasons where they weren't able to get back into Finals, after having that Preliminary Final success.

So it is a group that is really hungry and driven to get back up in the pointy end of the competition, and be relevant again come Finals.

The group has been brilliant, I think it is probably a matter of us as coaches making sure what we are coaching is quality and relevant.

They are certainly absorbing everything we put up there, so just making sure our messaging is clear and simple, then the group is able to play to their strengths on instinct.