For the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, the way to make the finals is simple; win.

Undefeated after the opening four rounds, Sunday’s loss to Adelaide has seen the Roos’ drop back to the rest of the pack at 4-1, the same as Adelaide and Fremantle, who sit in first and third respectively in conference A.

“It’s going to be cutthroat from here isn’t it? I guess it keeps it interesting,” Kearney told SEN.

“Our last game is against Fremantle in Fremantle, so it’s going to be a tough couple of games for us.

“We just have to win, it’s as simple as that.”

With the newly introduced conference system, two teams will progress from each pool to meet in the finals.

While there has been widespread criticism regarding the unevenness of the divisions, Kearney understands it’s all part of the game.

“There’s always going to be disappointment (in missing finals),” Kearney said.

“It is what it is, and we knew that going into the season.

“The AFL will potentially have a look at it, but we just want to win as many games as possible, and if we finish first or second then that’s our job done.”

Once in an enviable position of sitting a game clear on top of the ladder with a percentage of 201.1, the Roos are now inside the top two on percentage, and prepare to face conference B’s Collingwood this Saturday at Marvel Stadium.

Listen to Emma Kearney's full interview here: