THREE days after North Melbourne's gutting two-point loss to West Coast its players were standing around the goalsquare at Aegis Park laughing their heads off.

The butt of their mirth was soon apparent.

In what appeared to be a 'hybrid' penalty shootout, North assistant coach Darren Crocker was stationed on the goal line as Roos players lined up to pepper him with footballs from the top of the goalsquare.

Cheers greeted converted penalties, jeers the misses. But the laughter reserved for Crocker's ill-fated efforts to stop goals - and avoid being sconed - was the most raucous.

It seemed no more than a bit of harmless fun.

But that penalty shootout in part reflects the mental shift at Aegis Park that has helped transform the Kangaroos' season.

In a press conference on the other side of the ground, star midfielder Daniel Wells said the game was part of a plan "to lift the spirits a bit" at training.

Two weeks earlier, North captain Andrew Swallow had given AFL.com.au some insight into that plan. Swallow said it had originated in the wake of the Roos' lacklustre run between rounds four and 10, which netted just two wins and culminated in a 115-point thrashing from Hawthorn.

Swallow said North's leadership group realised during this period it had to release the mounting pressure on its players by making training fun again.

"We've got to make sure we create an environment that when guys come to training they enjoy being here, they enjoy being around each other and they want to learn and improve," Swallow said.

Two days earlier North scored an impressive win over an Adelaide team playing for top spot on the ladder.

The Roos ran the Crows ragged that evening at Etihad Stadium with an exciting brand of fast-moving, handball-heavy footy.

They were almost unrecognisable from the team that rolled over so easily against the Hawks just two games earlier. And from the team that was then given one hell of a scare by the then winless Gold Coast.

Wins over fellow finals aspirants St Kilda, Carlton and Richmond - and very nearly West Coast - stand testament to the Roos' stunning metamorphosis.

Such form is also a great advertisement for fostering a happy work environment.

But the Roos' recent attitude shift has gone deeper than that.

Most notably, they have successfully confronted some of the mental barriers that had dogged them since Brad Scott took over as coach ahead of the 2010 season.

For starters, their youngsters have started to stand up to the competition standover merchants who previously monstered them in physical contests.

A good example came in North's round-16 win over Carlton. In the second quarter, Jamie Macmillan, 20, and Robbie Tarrant, 23, then 28 and 17-game 'veterans' respectively, led the rush to remonstrate with Carlton skipper Chris Judd after his controversial 'chicken wing' tackle on their teammate Leigh Adams.

Macmillan and Tarrant didn't give a hoot that they were targeting a legend-in-the-making. Judd had messed with one of their own and they weren't going to let him get away with it.

North's tougher edge was also evident in its round-14 win over St Kilda, one of its biggest tormentors of recent seasons.

Sam Wright quickly bounced back after being struck by Brendon Goddard to kick a settling last-quarter goal - and he got right into the Saint star's face afterwards to let him know about it.

And key defender Nathan Grima stopped the Saint who had had his way with North more than any other over recent years - Nick Riewoldt. Riewoldt had kicked 22 goals in his previous four games against the Roos, but Grima held him to 1.1.

After North's 33-point victory, Scott's pride was evident.

"Our boys are growing up. I have lamented the fact that I feel like the parent watching the boys get bullied in the schoolyard," Scott said.

"Now we are standing on our own two feet and standing up to the opposition."

Another problem area for North under Scott had been its inability to finish off opponents on the ropes.

In round eight this year, it led Port Adelaide by 32 points at the eight-minute mark of the last quarter but could not stop the Power kicking the final five goals of the game to snatch a two-point win.

But North appears to have developed a knockout blow since.

In round 13, the Crows were eyeing a remarkable comeback victory, having kicked four consecutive goals to cut a 48-point deficit to just 22 points.

'Old' North might have tried to hang on for dear life until three-quarter time, but 'new' North through one of its newest players, 19-year-old defender Shaun Atley, attacked.

Running hard to give teammate Wright an option, Atley took a handball 30m from Adelaide's goal line with speedy Crow Ian Callinan on his hammer.

After giving Callinan the slip, Atley took a bounce and eluded a diving Jason Porplyzia tackle before dishing off a precise pass to Lachlan Hansen in the centre of the ground.

Two quick passes and a Lindsay Thomas goal later, the Crows' challenge had effectively been snuffed out.

This confident, attacking mindset has characterised North in recent rounds.

Yes, it lost to West Coast after leading by 35 points halfway through the second quarter of their round 15 clash. But it provided stiff resistance as the Eagles came back in the second half and was only headed in the dying minutes - thanks largely due to Dean Cox's individual brilliance.

Several hurdles remain, though. In round 21 they face 2011 nemesis Collingwood, who defeated the Roos by a combined total of 204 points in their two outings.  

And only 12 players on their list have experienced the heat of finals football.

With their current hold on eighth and relatively friendly draw, that could be about to change.

If it does, we'll get an even better idea of just how far they've come.

Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick