The Force have never before made the finals in a full Super Rugby competition, with their hopes last year being crushed after finishing the season with five-straight defeats.
The loss of star Wallabies winger Harry Potter and the retirement of scrumhalf Nic White are two huge blows for the Force.
But with All Blacks winger George Bridge, one-cap Wallaby Darby Lancaster and Argentinian lock Franco Molina among the inclusions to an already-stable squad, the Force are brimming with internal confidence ahead of Saturday's opener against the Brumbies in Perth.
So can the club finally break their finals duck this year?
The bookies don't think so, rating the Perth-based franchise either second or third last on the title odds, but there is a very different perception within the Force's four walls.
"Our goal is, our vision is to win Super Rugby," Force captain Jeremy Williams told AAP.
"You peel that back and to win it, you've got to be in the finals. So that's obviously a benchmark that to win Super Rugby, you have to be in the finals conversation or in the picture."
When asked if title success could come as early as this year, Williams didn't hesitate.
"For sure. I've always thought that we can do it," he said.
"There hasn't really been a thought of me thinking that we can't.
"I always want to win, and I think that's what everyone's goal is at the club. I think this year the club has recruited really well.
"We've retained a lot of players as well that have been here for a long time.
"So yeah, I think it's an awesome opportunity to get out there and get some wins on the board and make it to finals and hopefully win the title."
One huge aspect playing in the Force's favour is a much better travel schedule.
Last year, they were effectively made to criss-cross for the entire season - with the pattern of playing one game at home followed by one game away taking its toll.
White went as far as saying the Force had been "stitched up" by the unfair travel schedule.
This season, the Force have been fixtured for home and away blocks, meaning far less travel and more time to physically prepare for games.
"It takes a toll throughout the year," Williams said of the travel factor.
"And because we were doing it so much last year, it minimises the amount you can actually train on field because of all the travel.
"So our fixture this year will be really good. We'll be able to get a lot of good, hard sessions in during the week and prep ourselves for the weekend."
Molina, scrumhalf Nathan Hastie, Bridge and prop Harry Johnson-Holmes will all make their Force debuts against the Brumbies, but backline stars Dylan Pietsch (foot) and Lancaster (thigh) have been ruled out.
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