It has been four years since Gary Ablett last tasted finals fever, but the Gold Coast champion believes this season could mark his return to the September action.

His optimism comes after the AFL’s other 17 club captains dismissed the team’s chances of playing finals footy suggesting the strength of the competition will make for a difficult rise up the premiership table. 

But Ablett isn’t taking notice, and says he’s hungrier than ever to lead the Gold Coast into the top eight. 

"I want to win another premiership, I really do," he told AAP.  

"Obviously I was lucky enough to win a couple down at Geelong and it was a pretty special feeling.

"It's something that I'm going to be able to look back on in five, 10 years time, and have a quiet beer with those boys.

"I want to be able to do that with the Gold Coast boys as well ... it would be pretty satisfying to have a premiership up there."

The two-time Premiership player and dual Brownlow medallist is confident his young midfield fleet are ready to take the next step up, after undertaking their first mature AFL preseason. 

 "We have got so many talented kids, but talent doesn't win finals, it doesn't win premierships. It takes a mixture of talent and hard work," Ablett said.

"And I think as a group we are starting to understand what it takes - how professional you have to be, how hard you have to train.

"We have stepped up preseason 10 or 15 per cent this year, workload wise, and the boys' bodies have been able to handle it. We're very happy with where we're at."