Two time premiership player and North Melbourne great Corey McKernan believes his old club needs to build more depth in order to take the next step in the years to come.

Speaking with the Herald Sun's Matt Windley, McKernan knows the future is bright at Aegis Park despite some heartbreaking on-field results.

"When we have our best available side on the field I think we've got the talent out there to compete with anyone. But what happens with all of the better teams is that they're able to rotate more, they've got bigger depth than what North Melbourne has and therefore it's then maybe unsustainable to keep up the high level of performance.

"I know it's not ideal, but I'm still pretty excited about the future. This year has probably just confirmed everything I knew about North Melbourne. Our best team on the field might sneak us in to the eight, but what's happening right now, I don't think, is the worst thing in the world.

"Brad Scott is a good coach, he's learning, yes, but we know we're going to address our depth in the off-season and let's work out how we can bat deeper so it's more sustainable to keep our intensity up during games. It's about levelling out the highs and the lows."

"I know a lot of North Melbourne supporters are disappointed, I'm disappointed in some of the things that have happened with giving up leads, but it's plain as day to see that, yes, we can build leads, but the depth isn't there and that's why other teams can come back on us.

The 196 gamer said Friday night football will tell the world a lot about the Roos.

"It's time to stand up and show something. It's not about the kicks, marks and handballs, it will be in the intent and effort.

"It seems that their highs are really high and their lows are really low and that's why teams are kicking goals very quickly on them.

Wayne Schwass meanwhile says the difference between the Kangaroos having a successful year and a disappointing one has been marginal.

"I think that's the most frustrating thing, that they're playing good footy but unfortunately it's not for four quarters consistently. And as a club we don't have the depth of talent at the top end where we can afford a drop off for a quarter or 15 minutes, we don't have that luxury and not too many teams do.

"I think they've shown on a number of occasions that they're more than capable and in fact their best football is fantastic."

A members of North's 1996 premiership side and dual Syd Barker medal winner, Schwass wants to see some improvement in the club's second tier players.

"When teams have really good years it's not so much the effort or the output from the guys who have been there for a long time like Petrie, (Brent) Harvey, (Daniel) Wells etc, but it comes from the development collectively of the next generation. And when they come through together and they have breakout years, that's where you get significant improvement.

"That's probably the one area, from what I've seen, where the Kangaroos have probably fallen down a little bit. So if they could have gotten that collective improvement then the year could have been very much different.''

Expectations from the beginning of the year haven't helped North according to Nathan Thompson.

"But I really think that one of the things that is a bit backwards is - and I think the media get it the wrong way around and I think supporters also get disheartened because they read the articles that say the Kangaroos should be this or they should be that - that the Kangaroos unfortunately this year have been judged on potential.

"I'm definitely positive about what the Kangaroos are doing. Take those losses aside, I still think they're on the right path, but I do still think that they're a year or two away."

Thompson kicked 135 goals for the club and acknowledged how difficult a move into the elite echelon can be.

"The hardest thing for a club is to take that last step up in to the top category of clubs in the AFL. It's a really big jump.

"I think everyone agrees that the Kangaroos have set a pretty good base in terms of the players they've drafted, the list that they seem to have."