North Melbourne will resist the temptation to blood youngsters in the second half of the season, unless they can prove themselves at VFL level, coach Brad Scott says.

North has endured a difficult first half of 2013, having won just four games and lost the same number by four points or less.

The Roos sit 13th on the ladder and face an uphill battle to make the finals with games against Fremantle and Essendon, and return clashes against Hawthorn, Geelong, Collingwood and the Sydney Swans.

Scott told reporters at Aegis Park on Thursday he had attended the games of North's VFL affiliates, North Ballarat and Werribee, during the Roos' bye last weekend and been impressed by youngsters such as Cameron Delaney, Brad McKenzie, Taylor Garner and former Melbourne midfielder Jordan Gysberts.

Scott said the Roos wouldn't contemplate being out of finals contention until making the top eight became impossible, but suggested they would not gift games to anyone in the second half of the season regardless.

"I always like bringing young guys through and seeing them develop, it's a great part of coaching, but they'll select themselves," Scott said.

"We work as hard as we can developing them and training them up, but at the end of the day they pick themselves and we won't be looking to get young guys into the side just for the sake of it.

"If their form warrants it, we'll pick them."

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North skipper Andrew Swallow has endured a lean patch by his standards since injuring his knee against the Western Bulldogs in round seven.

Swallow averaged 27 possessions and seven clearances a game in the first seven rounds, but has averaged 19 possessions and four clearances in the past four rounds, including 10 and one against Gold Coast in North's last game.

Scott said Swallow's knee had not been troubling him, backing him to bounce back against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium this Sunday.

"He's trained really well and he had a game that he was really disappointed with against the Gold Coast," Scott said.

"I think the measure of Andrew Swallow is he doesn't usually do that a couple of times in a row, so I don't think injuries play any part in that.

"I think he's had a really good year and he's had probably one game that he was less than happy with on the Gold Coast. Every other game he's been fantastic for us."

Scott said he had not asked any of his players to lift in the second half of the season, with his main focus on fixing the areas of North's game that have caused it to lose games it seemed to have under its control.

Scott said the Roos were looking forward to again testing themselves against the competition's best teams in the run home to the finals.

"We welcome the chance in the second half of the year to play some potentially very good sides, and if we can fix those things then I reckon it's going to be exciting for us," he said.