DARREN Crocker says Nathan Buckley's appointment as assistant coach at Collingwood has not boosted his confidence of winning North Melbourne's senior job for 2010.

Buckley was the front-runner for the Roos position but advised the club on Monday that he wouldn't pursue it.

The Magpies added Buckley to Mick Malthouse's staff on Tuesday but Crocker said those events had not provided him with relief or affected his plans to win the North coaching job full-time.

"The Nathan Buckley thing really has not been at the forefront of my thinking anyway," Crocker said before training on Thursday. "It hasn't really concerned me.

"Since I got the job, it has always been what I can do in the 10 weeks I got given with these guys.

"I have been steadfast in that, I have now got five weeks to go and we are just full steam ahead with what we need to be doing to become a better team by the end of the season."

Crocker admitted that winning games in the remaining rounds would appear to better his prospects but noted that external views of the club's progress differed to internal ones.

"[Outside of the club], you get judged a fair bit on the win-loss ratio," he said. "Internally, people can see what's happening at the place [and] how I'm going about it.

"But a win would be nice on the run home."

North hosts Carlton on Friday night at Docklands and Crocker confirmed Nathan Grima and Daniel Pratt would replace David Hale and Ben Ross, who will both be omitted in Thursday night's team announcement.