NORTH Melbourne believes the cure to its chronic inconsistency this year lies in improving its preparation during the week, leadership group member Nick Dal Santo says.
Dal Santo told AFL.com.au that the Roos' leadership group had tried a few different things in recent weeks to eradicate the inconsistency that has plagued North in 2014, and believed they had discovered the cause.
"We're putting it down to preparation," Dal Santo said on Thursday.
"What I believe in, and what I've been brought up through the St Kilda days of believing in, is that your preparation ultimately dictates your form come the weekend and we've just got to be better at that.
"And that's what we're putting our energy into."
At their best this year, the Roos have looked a top-four contender, beating Port Adelaide, the Sydney Swans at the SCG and Fremantle at Patersons Stadium.
But they looked flat and uninspired in their losses to Essendon, Collingwood and Adelaide, and suffered perhaps their most disappointing loss last Saturday night to the 17th-placed Brisbane Lions.
The Roos could ultimately blame their four-point loss to the Lions on a dismal second quarter, when they allowed the Lions to pile on seven goals to turn a 16-point quarter-time deficit into a 21-point half-time lead.
Dal Santo said the Roos had played without structure and discipline in that second quarter, but after a confronting review on Monday had put it behind them and were looking forward to tackling ladder-leader Hawthorn on Friday night.
As a member of the St Kilda Grand Final teams of 2009 and 2010, Dal Santo has seen what it takes for a club to perform well week-in week-out.
Asked what was the difference between those St Kilda teams and North, Dal Santo said the Saints had a more even spread of contributors in those seasons.
"I think those teams in '09 and '10 had a lot of guys who contributed every week, there weren't many passengers, if any at all," Dal Santo said.
"And at the moment we're lacking in consistency and guys' efforts within games – we're all included, the leadership group and every player that's out there each week.
"And that's our biggest challenge and that's what will define our season I guess."
Dal Santo said North's up-and-down season had taken "a bit of a toll" on the players, but they were determined to fight their way through it.
"One week you're feeling pretty happy, the next week you want to find a hole to hide in," he said.
"But that's part of the game as well and, as a whole, I think we're OK.
"It's still a great place to be, I still love coming here and training, and we train bloody hard.
"I think sometimes people forget that the group is quite young as a whole and part of understanding being a professional athlete is being able to learn through those experiences and work through them."
