DESPITE freely acknowledging Collingwood as one of the competition's best teams, North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has downplayed the significance of his team's clash with the Magpies this Saturday night at Etihad Stadium.
Scott's approach is a significant shift from the one he took at the start of last season when he publically welcomed the chance to test his team against the competition's top teams.
However, the Roos failed most of those tests in 2011, with the Magpies proving their chief tormentors, thrashing them by 87 points in round two and by 117 points in round 16.
The Kangaroos appear far better placed to challenge Collingwood this year. With another year's development in their young list, they have recovered from a 4-6 start to the season, to win eight of their past nine matches and sit sixth on the ladder after round 20.
However, Scott played a straight bat at Aegis Park on Wednesday when asked whether Saturday night's clash represented the Roos' biggest test of 2012 to date.
"I've said many times we've been in the fortunate position where our destiny is in our own hands and we've faced crunch games for almost two months, one after the other. This is just another one of those for us," Scott said.
"[The Magpies] have proven themselves to be a great team and they're back into some really good form. [They had] a really good, hard, tough, resilient win against great opposition (the Sydney Swans) away from home last week.
"So they're clearly in good nick and their good players seem to be coming the fore and their key forwards are always dangerous.
"It's always a huge challenge, but the focus for us is on doing what we've been doing well and making sure that we keep focused on that."
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Scott said to beat Collingwood, North would have to match its elite ball-winning, outside run and defence.
"We're going to have a real challenge to win the ball ... and defend really well when we haven't got it. So it's simple, but it's easier said than done," Scott said.
Scott said co-vice-captain Jack Ziebell and small forward Lindsay Thomas would come straight back into North's team after completing four- and two-match suspensions.
Scott was not worried Ziebell would be rusty after his enforced break, which included a two-week high-altitude training camp in Utah.
"He's been training really well and all the indications are that he'll come back in good nick," Scott said of Ziebell.
"A lot of players if they miss four weeks probably struggle a bit for touch, but Jack's a natural footballer with natural touch, so we think that side of his game will be pretty good and he should have fresh legs."
Regaining Ziebell and Thomas will help offset North's injury 'outs' this round: Leigh Adams (dislocated left shoulder), Daniel Wells (calf) and Nathan Grima (hamstring tendonitis).
North announced on its website on Tuesday that Wells was expected to miss one week, but Scott said he was not "super confident" his star midfielder would return in round 22 against Fremantle.
"I think it's always very difficult to put a timeframe on [such injuries]. We've just got to see how he recovers," Scott said.
Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick
