NOT SINCE 2003 has North Melbourne's Shannon Watt played the first nine rounds of a season at senior level.

But, thankfully, that streak has now ended.

Campaigns between have been tainted by injury or VFL spells for the affable defender, however, 2008 has begun with promise as the Roos work to shore up their finals prospects.

"It's been a little bit inconsistent the last two or three weeks, but it hasn't been too bad," Watt said of his form on Thursday.

"I've just got to get a bit of a balance myself between really shutting out my man and getting the ball. That's what I've got to do and they got away from me just a couple of times on the weekend [against the Bulldogs], so I've just got to try and cut that out."

The 27-year-old has averaged 14 possessions over the last three weeks – a welcome departure from the single digits of a traditional defender.

But it's the one-dimensional style that has spawned Watt's 140-game career and his place in the North Melbourne side as a no-frills, miserly minder.

His approach to this season, his 11th, didn't stray from previous preparations, yet he recognises that age now dictates more effort for a return.

"You approach every season trying to improve and I think I've done that," he said. "But as you get a little bit older, you've got to keep improving otherwise there's no real point in the coach keeping you in the side.

"They're better off trying young guys. It always keeps the pressure on and a lot of our young guys are pushing and we've got decent depth, so it's something that really helps the club."

North Melbourne will turn to a healthy blend of youth and experience as it braces for five big challenges before the split round, starting with Brisbane at the Gabba this weekend.

The run that follows – Geelong at Telstra Dome, Fremantle at Subiaco Oval, Hawthorn at the MCG and St Kilda on the Gold Coast – will serve as an acid test for coach Dean Laidley and his players, searching for the form that took them to last year's preliminary finals.

"It's going to be very, very tough," Watt said. "We've sort of looked at that but then I suppose you look at any game now and you see what Collingwood did to Geelong. If you're slightly off, you're going to get beaten by anybody.

"I suppose we can go out and try and be our best and if we are that, we're going to be very competitive against anyone. That's all we can do."