Defender Jamie Macmillan says “there is no bigger motivator” for North Melbourne to bounce back, after the team booted just one goal against Geelong on the weekend.

“The execution from the players was pretty horrific, and certainly not what we want to be,” Macmillan told SEN SA.

“We discussed it at length on Monday, but we will move onto the Power this week and try and put it behind us.”

The loss to the Cats effectively ended the Roos’ slim chance of playing finals, but there’s still plenty on the line going into the final fortnight of the season.

“I don’t think there will be a drop-off in intensity, with list decisions coming up and those sorts of things happening, guys will want to put their best foot forward.”

As a member of the leadership group, Macmillan will be leading the charge from the back.

“I get a great sense of pride having represented the club for 10 years,” Macmillan said.

“There’s a really rich sense of history at the footy club, and there have been some great stories over the years of this club bouncing back after hard times and battling through adversity that really resonate with a lot of the guys.

“There’s a feeling that you aren’t just representing the guys who take to the field on the day, but all the players that have gone before you.”

Macmillan admits it’s been a challenging year for the club, but can’t hide his excitement for the future ahead, particularly under new coach Rhyce Shaw.

“My first year was Brad’s (Scott) first year, so we were together from Day 1. When that’s all you know, you do get a bit nervous not knowing what’s ahead of you, but Rhyce has been fantastic,” Macmillan said.

“I obviously haven’t had a heap of coaches, but he’s certainly very relatable. He loves to have a laugh, but you don’t want to get on his bad side either.

“I developed a strong relationship with him when he was my line coach, but he certainly told me a few home truths that I needed to hear, and I think that’s the hallmark of a good coach.”

Macmillan will farewell a fellow general in defence as the season comes to a close.

“I’ve learnt a lot of my defensive crafts off Scotty (Scott Thompson),” he said.

“I’ve had 10 years with him, and he’s one of the greats.

“He’s always looking for loopholes, on the field and in life (laughs).

“He was probably our best player on the weekend until he got knocked out, but when I spoke to him he was really comfortable with his decision.”