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NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott says the Kangaroos are desperate to prove they are legitimate finals contenders when they take on West Coast at Blundstone Arena in Hobart on Saturday.
In recent years the Roos have performed poorly against top-four sides, although they went some way to restoring their reputation when they beat Adelaide in round 13.
A subsequent victory over St Kilda last weekend lifted North Melbourne into the top eight.
"We've had some good wins this year and we've had some disappointing losses," Scott said.
"But the coaching staff and the match committee haven't lost sight of the fact that we've still got a lot of things we need to work on to bridge the gap to the best.
"(Taking on the Eagles) is just another opportunity to test ourselves and see where we're at."
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North played its first home game in Hobart in round two, and the Roos celebrated that occasion with a 129-point drubbing of Greater Western Sydney.
They travelled to Tasmania again for an away game against Hawthorn in round 10, but conceded 27 goals to the Hawks and were thrashed by 115 points.
Despite such wildly inconsistent performances, Scott is adamant his men will put on a good show this time around.
"I think it's a great opportunity for the people of Hobart to come out and see some top-level footy," he said.
"We've found some pretty reasonable form. We're expecting a fierce clash down there and will be great if the people of Hobart come out and see it.
"Let's hope we get a really strong North Melbourne presence."
Scott says emerging midfielder Sam Wright has pulled up well from Sunday's win over St Kilda.
An injury cloud had hung over Wright after he was involved in an off-the-ball clash that resulted in Saints star Brendon Goddard copping a two-match suspension from the match review panel.
"He's fine," Scott said. "He'll train this afternoon, and our medical report reflected that we thought it was on the minor end … so he'll be okay to play."
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