Forward Ben Brown says he is happy to have played a role in assisting ruckman Todd Goldstein during North's round one win.

The 23-year-old relieved Goldstein in the middle, particularly throughout the third quarter, in the Roos' 10-point win over Adelaide at Etihad Stadium last Saturday night.

Brown stressed the importance of giving the All Australian ruckman a helping hand when required, as his attention quickly shifted to the Brisbane Lions and their ruckman Stefan Martin.

"Whenever I'm able to do that [ruck], I take that as a really important role in my game," Brown told NMFC.com.au on Wednesday.

"I'm not in there to just give 'Goldy' a chop-out and make it a 50-50 contest, I'm there to try and win it to get my game going in the ruck as well."

North can also call on Drew Petrie to share the load despite Goldstein's ability to run out much of a game with relative ease.

"We know that Martin's a real strong ruckman, he'll get enough of the footy himself to really have an impact, so we are going to have to be right on our game to beat him," Brown said.

Brown finished with two goals to go with his 11 disposals and six marks in the Roos' season-opening win, working closely with fellow tall forwards Jarrad Waite and Petrie.

The 200cm goalkicker often found himself outnumbered in marking contests in attack but managed to follow up and bring the ball to ground, creating chances for his teammates in the win.

He said he was satisfied with his second half efforts against the Crows, but acknowledged his overhead marking needed some improvement.

"You're always disappointed when you drop one, but I see that as a strength of my game," Brown said.

"It's something that I got to definitely keep working on, but I know that when I'm at my best, I'm marking the ball well and I've been doing plenty of work on it.

"But it's the stuff Drew (Petrie) does really well which I want to focus on; when you're stuck in a two-on-one contest, making sure you bring the ball to ground and I felt like I did that for the majority of the night."

Brown, who was named North's best young player last season, said he was continuing to add strength in the gym while building his aerobic base, which would allow him to compete well in marking contests and in general play around the ground.

"I'm really looking to take it on this year and really try and cement my spot in the side – I want to be a permanent fixture in the team," he said.

"I've got my strengths and my weaknesses and it's (about) improving … and making myself into a better player."