JACK Ziebell knows full well it was not that long ago North Melbourne was a finals powerhouse.
The Roos' joint vice-captain does not need to be told either that North's recent finals record has fallen well short of the heady days of the 1990s.
From 1994-2000, under the leadership of coach Denis Pagan and captain Wayne Carey, North played in seven consecutive preliminary finals and three Grand Finals, winning the 1996 and 1999 premierships.
Since then North has played in seven finals for just one win, with its six losses by an average margin of 75 points.
Without prompting, Ziebell will tell you North's last finals win came back in 2007, when the Roos bounced back from a 106-point qualifying final loss to Geelong to defeat Hawthorn in the first semi-final.
The midfielder experienced first-hand the pain of North's 96-point loss to West Coast in its most recent September foray, a 2012 elimination final at Patersons Stadium.
And so as he prepares for his second final, against Essendon at the MCG this Saturday night, Ziebell is determined to help the Roos reclaim their former finals prestige.
"You look back at the '90s and we were one of the most successful clubs in that era, but we haven't played in a winning final since 2007," Ziebell told AFL.com.au on Wednesday.
"Our club has a rich history and we understand that September is where our club comes into its own.
"We're given the power at the minute to uphold that right and it's pretty important that we get the job done on the weekend – obviously for ourselves, but for our club and our supporters as well.
"I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to get out there."
Ziebell is confident North's list has the talent to right recent finals wrongs over the next few seasons.
He points to the Roos' ability this year to cover long-term injuries to key players such as Andrew Swallow (Achilles), Daniel Wells (foot) and Nathan Grima (foot) and still finish sixth with a 14-8 record.
Ziebell freely acknowledges that North's well-documented inconsistency is what separates it from this year's premiership fancies: the Sydney Swans, Hawthorn, Geelong and Fremantle.
But the former Murray Bushranger believes the up-and-down 2014 season has drummed home some valuable lessons, including the importance of maintaining consistently high training standards.
More importantly, Ziebell believes these lessons have started to sink in over the past month, fuelling his confidence that North will bring its A-game onto the MCG this Saturday night.
"It's just about making sure that we bring our best every week and I think over the last month we've done that a lot better. But it's going to be the ultimate test on the weekend because if we don't show up ready to play we'll get beaten," Ziebell says.
"We've got a super talented list and I think this year has proven that we've got quite a lot of depth as well.
"So it's definitely an exciting time for our footy club. But as everyone knows it's not just going to happen, we've got to make it happen.
"And our first opportunity is this weekend and we're very excited."
Asked to assess his own 2014 season, Ziebell says, like North's, it has been inconsistent.
He is averaging 18.6 possessions a game this year – 2.5 possessions fewer than last season – and in four of his 16 full games (he was North's substitute in round 18) he has had 15 possessions or fewer.
Ziebell would like to have won more of the ball this year, but knows he can still have a big impact without the football if he puts himself in the right spots and does the team-based things.
Jack Ziebell celebrates a goal with Ryan Bastinac. Picture: AFL Media
The midfielder's year has also been disrupted – like most of his previous five AFL seasons – with a shoulder injury sidelining him from rounds three to five and knee soreness sidelining him in rounds 16 and 17.
Still, Ziebell has been frustrated by his form fluctuations.
"Obviously, every AFL player strives to be consistent and that hasn't changed for me, that's one of my main goals," Ziebell says.
"It's quite frustrating when you have a good game – you know you can do it – and the week after you have a poor game.
"Nothing changes throughout the week. You put as much effort in each game, but you just don't get the result.
"You have to go back, look at it and try to learn from it. That's where the improvement comes from, trying to bridge that gap between your worst and your best.
Nonetheless, Ziebell remains a key player for North.
In addition to his bullocking work at stoppages, he underlined just how dangerous he can be in attack in the Roos' round 22 win against Adelaide.
Showcasing his strength overhead, Ziebell took four contested marks and kicked 4.5 against the Crows.
With fellow midfielder Ben Cunnington kicking four goals a week earlier against the Western Bulldogs, North suddenly has two potential September wildcards.
"It's just another string to our bows that can help us become better players and spend a bit more time on the ground as well, which is pretty important," Ziebell says.
"If something's not working up forward, then the coaches can go to Ben or myself and hopefully we can have an impact on the game and help the team.
"It just gives us another arm of flexibility and a little bit of unpredictability as well."
