DUAL premiership player Adam Simpson says he is not surprised just one rival AFL captain nominated North Melbourne to make this year's top eight, despite the Kangaroos finishing third last season.

The Kangaroos skipper was responding to a poll of the 16 AFL captains released on Thursday.

Simpson jokingly said the vote was his - even though captains weren't allowed to nominate their own club.

"People think we play above our expectations and one good year probably doesn't prove a lot – we’ve got to back it up,” he said.

“In 2006 we were 14th and I don't think the media or betting [rates us] – we're $3 to make the eight.”

Simpson pointed to Sydney as a recent example his team could follow to win greater recognition in the football fraternity.

"I think it took them [Sydney] a good three or four years before they got any recognition and I think that's how we've got to look at it," he said.

"If we don't back it up this year then everyone will [say], 'It was one out of the box'.

“That's the way I look at it. I'm not really surprised."

Simpson also said “tanking” matches was not an issue with the players, but rather a concern for coaches.

"I don't think it's a problem with the players – they're always going to be 100 per cent," he said.

"It's just whether your coaching moves are the same when you're no chance of playing finals to when you're a chance of playing finals.

“If that's different, for whatever reason, you look at it.

"[Do] you do a different system of drafting of kids? I don't know the answer, but I'm assuming if you're the coach – you can't tell players to lose – but it's how you coach, so how do you interpret that as tanking?"