NORTH Melbourne forward Drew Petrie believes the Kangaroos can learn something from Brisbane as it approaches a crucial month of football.

With Saturday's loss against the Lions putting them in the bottom half of the top eight, the Kangaroos face Geelong, Fremantle, Hawthorn and St Kilda in the next four weeks.

Petrie said the Kangaroos did not want to be chasing their tails in the final weeks of the season, ensuring the next block was of the highest importance.

"Fifth through 14th is going to be a tussle for the last couple of spots in the finals come the end of the year so we have to keep hanging on," he said.

"We've got a tough month of footy coming up so it'll be a really good test of character. If we can get through this next month and come out the other side with a couple of wins that'll shape us pretty well.

"We've just got to stay ahead of the ledger as much as we can so next week and the week after that are really important for us."

Petrie had 13 possessions, six marks and three goals from limited opportunities against the Lions on Saturday night.

He said Brisbane had taught the Roos a lesson when it came to contested footy.

"It's how footy is won these days, contested footy and they're the kings at it Brisbane," Petrie said.

"They're very good at it, we did show signs in patches, but they sustained it for the whole game and they were very good in and around the footy.

"I rate them highly. Sides will be there at the end of the year who are good at contested footy and Brisbane are, so they'll be definitely around the mark and they'll be threatening for sure."

As a result Daniel Bradshaw and Jonathan Brown saw plenty of the ball and took full advantage, kicking 12 goals between them.

Michael Firrito and Josh Gibson were struggling on the Lions gun duo, but Petrie said it was never in the game plan to move himself back to defence.

"The defenders were under the pump all night," he said.

"Brown and Bradshaw, they're two guns, and I think they had 63 inside 50s which is a pretty high number and we were probably lucky we didn't get beaten by 15 goals.

"I was only ever going to play forward or ruck tonight so I didn't think I'd go back at all.

"I felt sorry for them (his defenders) tonight, there was a lot of space in the forward line and their midfielders delivered the footy down their throats a bit so they were under the pump all night.''

Petrie said the form of youngsters Gavin Urquhart on debut and Ed Lower, who followed Simon Black for most of the night, was encouraging.