SOME "home truths" delivered in no uncertain terms by captain Andrew Swallow at half-time helped ignite North Melbourne's second-half steamrolling of Essendon on Friday night, defender Sam Wright says.

The Roos had been lacklustre before the main break, bringing to attention their disappointing record the week after a win in recent times.

Click here for full match coverage and statistics 

Since late 2013, the Kangas had won 12 games and lost 14 coming off a victory – a statistic in stark contrast to a 16-2 record backing up after defeats.

Trailing by eight points at the main break to the young and inexperienced Dons, the Roos came together in the rooms – moments after a huge melee broke out on the siren – with Swallow laying down the law.

"He's really good in those situations and he's been good all year," Wright told AFL.com.au.

"(Brad Scott) was pretty calm and collected. All the boys got together ourselves, actually, and just laid out a couple of home truths.

"That's what's been hurting us this season is inconsistencies, so it was good that we could really turn it around in the second half and come back and have a win."

North booted nine goals to three in the second half to get ahead on the win-loss ledger at 8-7.

Wright said the Roos "nailed-down on the basics" of tackling and pressure to stop the Bombers in their tracks.

"I think the first half we struggled. We didn't really play the footy we wanted to play and let them into the game," Wright said.

"The second half we got up on them and pressured them hard, and got the result we wanted."

Big forward Ben Brown was important, especially in Drew Petrie's enforced absence through suspension, with the strong-marking target booting three of his four majors after the long break.

"The last two years he's been really good for us, good at ground level and good in the air. He gives us a really good contest," Wright said.

"He was just struggling for a bit of confidence (when he was dropped to the VFL earlier recently), so it was good for him to go back and play well and come away with a fair bit of confidence."

The Roos get Petrie back for Brent Harvey's 400th game against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba next weekend.

The coming month shapes as crucial for the ninth-placed Roos to charge up the ladder - with games against Carlton, Melbourne and St Kilda to come – but Wright said North couldn't afford to look beyond the Lions.

"To be honest we're not even looking that far ahead, it's week-to-week now," he said.

"It's all about getting consistency and being a hard team to play against."