THE REAL challenge starts now for North Melbourne's freshly minted senior coach Rhyce Shaw, who, as of this week, has shed his caretaker status.

The Roos had dropped three straight games before his official appointment, but they were back on the winner's list with an impressive 22-point dispatching of Hawthorn on Friday night.

Two of those losses were by a combined 17 points, too, so this sustained form spike under Shaw – five wins from nine games – is more than just a "sugar hit", as chairman Ben Buckley said on Thursday.

However, of most importance is the bigger picture and AFL.com.au has taken a look at some of the items on Shaw's agenda.

ROOS v HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

Who are Robbie Tarrant's and Scott Thompson's successors?
Tarrant's been outstanding in season 2019 and is showing no signs of slowing down at age 30 – and is contracted for two more years – but he's closer to the end than the start. As for Thompson, he is still without a contract for next season and hasn't been quite as good as his impressive 2018 campaign. Hawk Mitch Lewis exposed Thompson early on Friday night, and North has a big call to make on him, because he still has value. Majak Daw played the best football of his career in defence last year, but there is still a query on him – even after making it back for four VFL games – after the serious hip and pelvis injuries he sustained in a fall from Melbourne's Bolte Bridge in December. Daw's possible return next season would ease the concerns here, while 2014 first-round draft pick Sam Durdin has played seven of the past eight games. Another key defender, Ben McKay (four matches in four seasons), is contracted for two more years, but hasn't made the strides this season that the Roos would have hoped.

Scott Thompson gets help from Taylor Garner on Friday night. Picture: AFL Photos

Should the Roos keep all their veterans?
Sam Wright is retiring and will play his last game in the VFL this weekend, while 30-somethings Thompson and Todd Goldstein are yet to sign new deals for next year. Indications are that Goldstein, an unrestricted free agent, will re-commit for two more years – despite interest from rival clubs, particularly St Kilda – but nothing is certain until he signs on the dotted line. Shaun Higgins is 31 but continues to play at a high level and will have value for a contender seeking some extra polish. What the Kangaroos have to decide is whether whatever they could get for Higgins, in the form of a draft pick, is worth losing one of their best players. He's proven pretty durable since switching from the Dogs, where he was injury prone, and was again an excellent contributor on Friday night.

Is North Melbourne's list good enough to contend?
This is ultimately the biggest call any list management team needs to make and there is always a danger of thinking you're closer than you actually are. Are the veterans –Tarrant, Goldstein, Ben Cunnington – still going to be prominent if or when the Roos challenge for a flag? This is a hard one to answer because there has been serious improvement under Shaw, so steady heads are required here. Are the kids good enough or close enough to blossoming and making a difference? Much of this centres on Luke Davies-Uniacke, who they will hope takes a big leap in his third season, a la Jy Simpkin. 'LDU' returned to the senior side in the past fortnight and looks excellent with ball in hand, but is yet to prove he can be a big ball-winner at this level. That may come if more midfield time presents in 2019. Cam Zurhaar and Nick Larkey have enjoyed breakout campaigns this year, while last year's top-10 pick Tarryn Thomas looks comfortably the most promising of the kids. Extending Thomas' two-year rookie deal should be a top priority.

What to do with the midfield?
Ben Cunnington is on track for All Australian honours this year, while Shaun Higgins was part of that team last season, so the top-end quality is good. The mix behind them is what will determine much of any future success. Jack Ziebell's been reincarnated as a midfielder under Shaw, so is that where he stays rather than the 50-50 split up forward? Jed Anderson was dropped ahead of a rematch with his old side Hawthorn but remains an integral part of this side. Jy Simpkin has dipped a bit since his mid-season form explosion, but looks a major piece for the future, while Luke Davies-Uniacke and Tarryn Thomas will expect to gradually spend more time in the centre. Figuring out where Paul Ahern fits is an interesting one, because he can be a point of difference. He's shone as a half-back in the past fortnight, so it remains to be seen whether that's a short-term arrangement. Ben Jacobs, Dom Tyson and Aaron Hall are older options in this area and all have question marks for different reasons. The wing, where high-priced recruit Jared Polec and Trent Dumont are the constants, and Bailey Scott impressed in stints there in the early rounds, isn't an area that needs attention.

Getting the most out of the unfulfilled two
Taylor Garner and Mason Wood were both selected in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft and have had similar, injury-ravaged journeys to this point, but there is no doubt about their talent. Having said that, there's already been a noticeable improvement in Wood's consistency, with the athletic forward kicking multiple goals for the fifth time on Friday night in eight games (he was a late withdrawal in round 17) since Shaw took over. Wood's ability to maintain that rage and perform even better will be key, along with Nick Larkey, to easing the load on Ben Brown. Garner still has plenty to prove. Shaw made a statement in bringing the 25-year-old straight back into the senior team after his club ban for his Sydney barfight, but Friday night's game was just his 40th. He showed in 2017 what he has to offer, and he needs to do everything right this pre-season to prove Shaw's faith in him was justified.