City has enjoyed a mixed run of form in the preseason so far but Vlahos said his side had enough depth and quality to go a long way in Victoria's premier competition.

"We have a really tough start but we hope to get at least seven points from our first three games so that we can build a good platform for the rest of the season.

"It's been a real challenge trying to implement a professional structure at the club when you have players coming in and out but we are trying to be as professional as we can.

"The club and I believe in the players we have and I'm sure we'll do well in the first few weeks and throughout the entire season."

First up for City will be Green Gully which has signed a number of star players such as former VPL player of the year Graham Hockless to add to a squad which was already brimming with experience and quality.

"They [Green Gully] are going to be a force and you just know they are going to be up there come the end of the season," Vlahos said.

"I've seen them play a few times in preseason and I know how we are going to play against them already, but I'll keep my cards up my sleeve until then."

Vlahos said he was "already impressed" with the way some of his players conducted themselves in preseason and believes Richie Cardozo and Zoran Petrevski deserve special praise.

"Richie has been really consistent in preseason and I'm looking for a big year from him.

"Zoran has been training from day one and has been working extremely hard and has been a good example to the young players."

City meets Gully at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday at 3pm.