DEMOTED pair Andrew Swallow and Lindsay Thomas are not guaranteed to make immediate returns to AFL level, after the Kangaroos ended their losing streak without them.
The pair were cut after last week's loss to Fremantle but impressed for Werribee in the VFL on Saturday.
The Roos instead relied on the likes of Ben Brown (six goals), Shaun Higgins, Taylor Garner and Jack Ziebell to beat Gold Coast by 13 points.
Off-season recruits Nathan Hrovat and Marley Williams also received rich post-match praise from coach Brad Scott.
"Lindsay kicked four (goals) and Andrew had his 20-plus possessions and 10 tackles (for Werribee), as he does, and they went back with the attitude we would expect," Scott said.
"So we'll just keep picking the side on form and if those guys warrant selection, then they'll play. But if other guys are ahead of them, then we won't change it.
"We're in a position where we've got a lot of players to pick from and a lot of players who are pretty even come selection, so it doesn't take much to tip the balance one way or the other."
Scott confirmed star spearhead Jarrad Waite (AC joint) was a "really good chance" to return against Adelaide next week after missing the past five rounds.
He is also determined to find a way to fit bullocking ruckman Braydon Preuss into his line-up, alongside All Australian big man Todd Goldstein.
North will need to get a move on if it is to return to the finals, but Scott has not given up hope, although he conceded the Crows presented a "formidable challenge".
"You just keep trying to win every game to qualify as best you can, so clearly the job's harder than it was at the start of the season," he said.
"But we're at the stage where we've just got to focus on the quality of footy we're playing.
"We were really confident if we continued to get the effort and play the way we were playing in the first five weeks that the wins were inevitable.
"That gets hard to believe when you keep falling just short, so hopefully we can start to build some momentum."
Midfielder Ben Cunnington, playing his 150th match, had a night to forget against the Suns, winning only 12 disposals.
Cunnington remarkably had just one possession in the opening half after starting alongside Gold Coast champion Gary Ablett (45 disposals) at the first bounce.
"He just had a really off night. I spoke to him at half time … he's a quality player and elite in so many areas," Scott said.
"But tonight he just had one of those nights … we'll look at it really closely and I'll look at it personally with Ben, but he just looked flat tonight and sometimes that happens.
"He fought it out, but luckily the other midfielders were able to pick up the slack."
