Sitting at 4-2, both the Suns’ losses have been heavy ones, and to top-four contenders Fremantle and Hawthorn.
“We’ve got two pretty good lessons from the two sides of where we want to get to,” McKenna said on Wednesday.
“North provides us with another one of those tests, given how they’re playing right now it’s another side ahead of us, older, more games, away win, all those sorts of things.
“There’s great questions they’re going to ask of us and we have to be ready to answer.
“North are 4-2 and they’ve beaten some really good sides. I’m sure they’d be looking at us to put us away as well.”
It’s a marked difference compared to the lead-up before last year’s match at Metricon Stadium. During that week, McKenna was talking up his side’s chances.
"We start hard with them, match them early on and I think the doubts will start to creep into them," McKenna said last year.
"I think they've shown their inability to sustain games. One of our messages will be about the start. They've won all but one of their first quarters.
"You say mentally - I don't know what goes on, I'm not in charge of North Melbourne - but I think they're vulnerable after quarter-time, let's be honest."
In Suns’ injury news, ruckman Tom Nicholls will be given every chance to return after being a late withdrawal against the Giants.
“He (Nicholls) doesn’t need to train fully to get through (and be selected).
“He’s had a knock on his knee for most of the season so he hasn’t done a lot of work. We’ll certainly give him every opportunity because he’s important for a number of reasons.
“He’s got a long season ahead of him so he’s the one we’re less likely to take a punt on like we did last weekend.”
Meanwhile Harley Bennell made his return for the Suns’ reserves last week and performed well.
“Harley hadn’t played for eight weeks before he ran around in the 2’s and got through the game ok. The sub rule is one sense is good but there’s no point putting anyone with a question mark in as the sub because what if he has to come in after the first minute?”
