North Melbourne’s best defensive performance of 2015 came at the Gabba on Saturday, continuing a trend that has been evident in its last seven matches.

Since a forgettable second half fadeout against Collingwood in Round 9, the Kangaroos have become considerably stingier. Up until this point, they were conceding almost 100 points per game – normally the results of a side floating around the bottom four.

While it is true the draw has opened up slightly since the first nine rounds, North has still faced two of the current top four during this time.

It was the Round 10 encounter against West Coast at Blundstone Arena when the Kangaroos turned in another superb defensive performance.

The Eagles travelled to Hobart possessing a six game winning streak and in top form. They also haven’t lost since they met North, indicating they’re a legitimate premiership contender.

Both sides were greeted with old-school conditions, a howling gale favouring one end, worth at least three goals.

West Coast went inside 50 on 63 occasions during the afternoon, all for an end result of 10.15, with seven of those behinds rushed. Again, in the first nine rounds the Eagles were the highest scoring team in the competition and have only fallen behind Hawthorn in the following games.

Perhaps using the win against West Coast as a foundation, North’s team defence from opposition inside 50 entries has been the significant improver since Round 10.

It has allowed North to frequently absorb opposition’s momentum while not suffering as much on the scoreboard.

The example of this which stands out the most is the victory against Geelong in Round 15. For a 12-14 minute period in the third quarter, the Cats completely dominated the match.

From possessions to time in forward half to repeat inside 50 entries, Geelong was first to the ball as it attempted to claw back from a deficit of more than five goals.

However during this period, the Cats could only score one goal and two behinds. Todd Goldstein then goaled for the Kangaroos at the 17 minute mark, and thanks in large part to the Roos’ defensive unit, the margin was almost identical prior to Geelong’s period of dominance.

Looking ahead, North will have chances to continue its improvement. Only one of its final six games is outside Victoria, and even that is a trip to the club’s home-away-from-home at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.

The next fortnight sees Brad Scott’s side take on Carlton and Melbourne, ranked 16th and 17th respectively for points scored this season. However if the Roos need any reminder of what can happen if they take their foot off the pedal, they can look at the corresponding match against the Blues in 2014, where Carlton took home all four points.