After playing a final for the first time in four years last season, the Roos were hit with one of the competition's toughest draws in 2013.
In the first five rounds, they play four 2012 finalists – top-four finishers Collingwood (round one), Sydney Swans (round three) and Hawthorn (round four), and 2011 premiers Geelong (round two).
And four of the five teams North plays twice played in last year's finals series – the Magpies, Hawks, Cats and preliminary finalist Adelaide.
North Melbourne's tough start
It's a stark contrast from the Roos' 2012 fixture, in which three of their five return clashes were against fledgling expansion teams Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, and the rebuilding Western Bulldogs.
But McMahon told AFL.com.au North is looking forward to the challenges the AFL fixture committee has dealt them this year.
"I think it gives us a good challenge because obviously we didn't finish as well as we wanted to last season," McMahon said.
"We have the opportunity to implement the stuff that we've learned this pre-season against some really quality teams early on and then we're going to get a good measure of where we're at and also what we need to improve on.
"I know I'm looking forward to it and I'm sure everyone in the team is as well – it's exciting."
McMahon is also confident North is up to the challenge.
He says the Roos' exhilarating 9-1 run from rounds 12-21 last season, which included comfortable wins over long-time bogey team Collingwood, as well as preliminary finalist Adelaide, had helped convince North's players they were part of a team on the rise.
"I think those games gave a lot of the guys belief – especially the young guys – that if we play this way we can beat anyone," McMahon said.
"It gives you the confidence and the belief in the game plan and everything that we're implementing, knowing that if we get it right we are able to run over the top of teams and match it with the best."
North's 2012 form streak came on the back of an indifferent 4-6 start to the season, which included a 115-point thrashing by Hawthorn in round 10.
It was followed by a comprehensive loss to Fremantle in round 22, an unconvincing win over Greater Western Sydney in round 23 and a 96-point elimination final loss to West Coast at Patersons Stadium.
It was a disappointing finish to such a promising second half of the season.
Given North's form fell away after its round 21 win over Collingwood, some suggested the Roos suffered a letdown after finally beating the team that had thrashed them by an average margin of more than 80 points in their previous four games.
McMahon concedes the Roos had a big build-up to the Collingwood match given their past "touch ups", but says that had nothing to do with their flat finish to 2012.
"I don't think the boys went away from doing any of the fundamental things we did during the Collingwood game," McMahon says.
"I think we might just have been off that one or two per cent in the games after that. And as you saw during the year if any team was off that one or two per cent then anyone could run over them.
"We probably went away a tiny bit from what we were doing really well and I suppose once you do that it just snowballs and everyone's just that step off [the pace]."
McMahon says the Roos' ability to consistently stick to their game plan will determine whether they can build on last season.
"The good sides do the basics well over and over again," he says.
"If we're going to get to where we want to go, we've can't afford to drop off like we did at the end of last season.
"We've got to be better than that."
Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick
