As the Round 8 bye approaches, it’s time to reflect.
NMFC.com.au looks at the first seven rounds focusing on what went right, what went wrong and the standout performers.
Have your say in the poll at the bottom of the page. How would you rate North’s season so far? A tick or a cross?
Round 1 v Essendon
More than 42,000 fans were at Etihad Stadium, but many received a rude shock when the Bombers, and in particular Paul Chapman, burst out of the blocks.
North, with high expectations on its shoulders and two debutants in action (Nick Dal Santo and Luke McDonald), didn’t fire a shot for the best part of a quarter, but a late rally kept it in reach.
Lindsay Thomas was instrumental as the Kangaroos grabbed the lead for just a few minutes in the second term, but the Bombers went into half-time 20-points ahead after three late goals.
With intensity around the ball, an unrelenting work-ethic and patience going forward, Essendon dominated the second half.
Midway through the last quarter, the Bombers were out to a big lead and eventually won by 39 on a forgettable night for Brad Scott’s team.
There were shining lights though with Thomas booting four, while Jamie Macmillan was also a strong performer.
For the likes of Jack Ziebell (12 disposals), Daniel Wells (11 disposals) it was a quiet night, while Todd Goldstein copped a corked shoulder. 
What the coach said: "It was a miracle we got the game back pretty much at level pegging in the second quarter because we were just being outplayed and outhunted, so it's bitterly disappointing from that perspective.
"I can't think of a game ever in my time that we've been beaten by almost 50 in contested possessions and that's just so unlike the group we've got, so that came as a complete shock to me.”
[WATCH: Match highlights]
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.0 5.3 8.5 9.6 (60)
ESSENDON 4.1 8.5 11.8 15.9 (99)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Thomas 4, Black, Dal Santo, Harvey, McKenzie, Wright
Essendon: Chapman 4, Goddard 3, Hardingham 2, Daniher 2, Watson 2, Howlett, Ryder
BEST
North Melbourne: Thomas, Macmillan, Harvey, Cunnington, Mullett
Essendon: Watson, Chapman, Goddard, Heppell, Zaharakis, J.Merrett, Hooker
Round 2 v Western Bulldogs
It was perhaps the type of game North had to have; ugly, scrappy and certainly not a spectacle, but ultimately the result went its way.
Only twice last year the Kangaroos conceded less points in a game than the 54 against the Bulldogs on a Sunday at Etihad Stadium. It set the trend for a string of five games in which neither they or their opponents, reached the 100-point barrier.
All the work on North’s defensive game in the pre-season was on show.
The teams combined for just four goals in the first half, before Scott’s team ran away with it after the main break to win by 29.
In his 364th game, Brent Harvey was brilliant, racking up 24 disposals and booting three goals in the final term alone to put the result beyond doubt.
Dal Santo (32 disposals) looked to have found his feet with a display that silenced his critics, while Scott Thompson was as solid as a rock in defence and provided drive the other way.
Substitute Levi Greenwood looked set for more regular senior football with 13 disposals in a quarter.
What the coach said: "I don't think the first half is going to make any highlight reels, but we've played games in the last few years where we've kicked over 120 points and looked fantastic, and lost.
"This feeling feels a lot better, I can guarantee you. As a side we needed to grind it out."
[WATCH: Match highlights]
WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.3 2.3 5.4 8.6 (54)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.2 2.5 6.8 12.11 (83)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Cooney, Jones, Griffen, Stringer, Dahlhaus, Stevens, Crameri, Macrae
North Melbourne: Harvey 3, Petrie 2, McKenzie, Currie, Wells, Greenwood, Ziebell, Black, Adams
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Murphy, Dahlhaus, Macrae, Stevens, Cooney, Picken
North Melbourne: Harvey, Thompson, Dal Santo, Gibson, Atley, Hansen
Round 3 v Port Adelaide
Testing its mental strength against arguably the fittest side in the competition, North found the early going tough against a red-hot Power outfit.
But against the odds, the Kangaroos fought back.
Thomas again lit the spark, booting three first half goals, while Ben Cunnington was simply outstanding in a game that earnt him wide-spread respect.
North took the lead during the latter stages of the second quarter, but Port surged again after the break.
Wasted opportunities cost Scott’s side as the away team piled on five goals to the Kangaroos’ 2.8.
Despite injuries to Monfries and Wingard, most expected the fitness of the Power to prove the difference, but it wasn’t to be.
North stormed home and booted five goals to two in the final term to record a memorable victory. Harvey sealing the win in the dying minutes.
What the coach said: "All it did was really confirm what I've always thought about Ben Cunnington. He's just a terrific player in the contest and he was enormous for us today."
[WATCH: Match highlights]
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.2 7.3 9.11 14.13 (97)
PORT ADELAIDE 4.3 6.8 11.9 13.12 (90)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Thomas, Harvey 3, Mullett 2, Black, Macmillan, Thompson, Goldstein, Dal Santo
Port Adelaide: Schulz 3, Monfries, Wingard, Hartlett 2, Wines, Westhoff, Boak, Broadbent, Jacobs
BEST
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Greenwood, Thomas, Bastinac, Atley, Harvey, Dal Santo
Port Adelaide: Hartlett, Gray, Ebert, Wines, Carlile, Boak
Round 4 v Sydney
North’s interstate record was nothing to write home about and against the Swans it was particularly grim reading.
Heavy rain meant Robin Nahas was a late inclusion at the expense of Daniel Currie, and it was the former Tiger that got the ball rolling, compiling nine disposals and a goal in the first term.
It was a dour struggle during the opening half as neither side was able to gain the ascendency. North with a slim one goal lead at the main break.
The Roos’ tall-forwards refused to be hampered by the weather as Aaron Black and Drew Petrie had an impact, while through the middle Cunnington and Leigh Adams were loving the conditions.
Thompson got the job done again on a frustrated Lance Franklin, and the Swans’ main avenue to goal was ineffectual, limiting their scoreboard pressure.
Many would have considered a respectable loss acceptable in the harbour city, but the Kangaroos left with a huge 43 point win after a six goal final term.
It was the club’s first victory in Sydney since 2007, and more importantly took the season tally to 3-1.
What the coach said: "It was only three weeks ago that we were really struggling but we had a real scrap against the Bulldogs and came through that, and a real scrap again today and came through that," Scott said after the match.
"From a coaching perspective, they are great wins, when you can scrap it out and get the job done.
"I sense a fair amount of belief in our players at the moment."
[WATCH: Match highlights]
SYDNEY SWANS 2.1 3.7 4.9 6.12 (48)
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.4 4.7 7.10 13.13 (91)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Laidler 2, Grundy, Jack, McVeigh, O'Keefe
North Melbourne: Black 3, Wells 3, Mullett 2, Petrie, Thomas, Nahas, Adams, Goldstein
BEST
Sydney Swans: Kennedy, McVeigh, McGlynn, Laidler, Parker, Jack
North Melbourne: Thompson, Black, Cunnington, Wells, Adams, Dal Santo
Round 5 v Collingwood
After three wins in a row, North was considered a big chance against the Nathan Buckley coached Magpies going into Round 5.
Bastinac’s opening goal of the game was where the Kangaroos’ momentum came to a halt.
Led by the previously out-of-form Travis Cloke (4 goals), Collingwood won the contested ball, tackled strongly and pumped the ball inside 50 on 18 more occasions. than their opponents
By half-time the game was effectively over as the margin ballooned out to 33 points.
The Kangaroos turned the tide after the main break, locking down their opponents and restricting the use going into attack, but the damage had already been done.
Cunnington was brave in defeat with another strong performance, while Gibson, Harvey and Thomas all tried hard, but there were few winners on a dismal day for North.
What the coach said: "We had a plan in place particularly after half-time to use the ball a bit better and we didn't so it wasn't as if we didn't have our hands on the ball.
"I think we controlled time in possession so we just weren't efficient going forward."
[WATCH: Match highlights]
COLLINGWOOD 5.4 10.6 11.9 13.15 (93)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.3 5.3 5.7 8.10 (58)
GOALS
Collingwood: Cloke 4, White 2, Beams 2, Elliott 2, Pendlebury, Lumumba, Goldsack
North Melbourne: Thomas 2, Bastinac 2, Gibson, Currie, Greenwood, Harvey
BEST
Collingwood: Sidebottom, Swan, Lumumba, Pendlebury, Cloke, Elliott
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Gibson, Harvey, Thomas
Round 6 v Fremantle
Few people knew what to expect from an inconsistent North side going into the ANZAC Day clash with Fremantle.
Another slow start had most predicting a big loss, but to the Kangaroos’ credit they fought back.
The Dockers held sway until the third quarter, but North’s supreme fitness eventually came to the fore.
Despite an inside 50 differential of minus 10, it was an inspirational effort from Harvey and an even midfield performance from Gibson, Cunnington and Dal Santo that led to the Roos’ fourth win.
Three goals in the final term had a small army of royal blue and white celebrating at Patersons Stadium, and thousands more rejoicing in their homes around Australia.
It was the club’s second away win interstate in three weeks and had the football world talking.
Another scrappy, hard-fought victory all of a sudden had everyone lauding North’s defensive improvement, with the performance of Nathan Grima down back winning him plaudits.
After six rounds, the Kangaroos sat pretty in fifth place, but more impressively the demons from interstate trips past had effectively been vanquished.
What the coach said: "I still thought Fremantle really put us under enormous pressure early. We struggled to get through that, but I was really proud of our guys the way they persisted and got the result in the end."
[WATCH: Match highlights]
FREMANTLE 4.4 6.8 8.8 8.13 (61)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.4 5.6 7.11 10.14 (74)
GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich 2, Fyfe 2, Neale, Sandilands, Mundy, Mayne
North Melbourne: Gibson 2, Petrie 2, Nahas, Daw, Black, Dal Santo, Mullet, Thomas
BEST
Fremantle: Fyfe, Johnson, Mundy, D. Pearce, Pavlich, McPharlin
North Melbourne: Harvey, Dal Santo, Cunnington, Ziebell, Gibson, Firrito
Round 7 v Gold Coast
Inconsistency again riddled North’s performance in a clash most expected it to win at Etihad Stadium.
Booting the first seven goals of the game, the Suns had all the running and caught their opponents napping early.
From there, the Kangaroos played the catch-up game.
It was a brave fight, but ultimately it was all the work during the second and third quarters to get back that left them with little to give when it mattered most.
Ablett’s brilliance came to the fore in the last quarter despite a great tagging job from Greenwood, while the Suns’ key-forwards Charlie Dixon and Tom Lynch had the better of their opponents.
But unlike the Collingwood and Essendon games, it was tough to pick too many poor players for North; Bastinac and Adams were quiet, but the onballers all had their share of the footy.
Lachlan Hansen was terrific as a loose man, while Goldstein got the job done in the ruck, but it was a disappointing way to go into the bye. At 4-3, North is back with the rest of the pack.
What the coach said: "Our ball movement was terrible, our effort in the contest wasn't up to standard and we suffered a really disappointing loss against a side that was better than us on the day."
[WATCH: Match highlights]
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.4 7.6 10.10 11.11 (70)
GOLD COAST 7.4 10.5 13.10 18.12 (120)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Daw 2, Petrie, Greenwood, Thomas, Harvey, Gibson, McKenzie, Bastinac, Black, Mullett
Gold Coast: Ablett 4, Dixon 3, Matera 3, Bennell 2, Lynch 2, Day, Prestia, Rischitelli, Hall
BEST
North Melbourne: Hansen, Cunnington, Greenwood, Ziebell, Goldstein, Gibson
Gold Coast: Prestia, Lynch, Ablett, Kolodjashnij, Harbrow, Bennell, Dixon
