ROOS midfielder Brent Harvey has paid little thought to his soaring Brownlow Medal prospects, finding it difficult to compare this season to last.

Harvey finished equal-second behind Cat Jimmy Bartel as the competition's best-and-fairest player in 2007 and many pundits have tipped him to poll strongly again.

The 30-year-old was a stand-out for North Melbourne in Friday night's win over Collingwood and, on Monday, his Brownlow favouritism saw him climb to second behind Geelong's Gary Ablett.

"Last year I probably had a few better games, with a few more touches and a few things like that, but this year's certainly been more consistent," Harvey said.

"I don't know if that's better or not. If we're winning it's (my form's) better, if we're losing it's not."

Harvey has been the Kangaroos' best player in a season that sees them eighth after 16 rounds, with eight wins, seven losses and a draw.

The veteran is averaging 25 possessions a game, but has lifted that to almost 29 in the last six weeks.

"I see things a little bit different," Harvey said. "I don't think I've had too many outstanding games.

"To be honest, I really don't think about that sort of stuff. You wake up on Monday and people are texting you and this sort of stuff, and you have a quick look at the paper, but that's as far as it goes.

"We're just concentrating on winning games and if I can contribute to that, I'll be happy."

"I'd love it if he did win it," teammate Shannon Grant chimed, but the pair is focused on a run to the finals that continues against cellar-dweller Melbourne on Sunday.

"We'll be approaching this game like we approached Collingwood on the weekend or Geelong or Hawthorn or the Bulldogs," Harvey said.

"We've just got to keep putting our best foot forward because as soon as you drop your guard, when you think you've got an easy game, it usually jumps up and grabs you by the throat.

"We won't be taking them lightly at all. They beat Brisbane and Brisbane beat us during the year."

Grant suggested on Tuesday that North Melbourne was as strong, if not stronger than its 2007 side that finished third. And Harvey agreed.

"I think he's probably spot-on," he said.

"We've introduced a lot of young guys – Gavin Urquhart, Ben Ross, Matty Campbell and Lindsay Thomas have stepped up again – so once these guys keep coming up and taking over from when Simmo (Adam Simpson) and Brady (Rawlings) come off the ground, I reckon we're a better team."