AN ATTITUDE adjustment after the demoralising round 14 loss to Gold Coast helped spark North Melbourne's seven-game winning streak that has all but secured its second consecutive finals berth, vice-captain Jack Ziebell says.

North's 2015 season was at the crossroads when it was thrashed by 55 points at Metricon Stadium by a Gold Coast team that had previously won just one game for the season.

The defeat left the Roos 11th on the ladder with a 6-7 record and followed earlier heavy losses to Adelaide, Hawthorn and Fremantle, and an extraordinary round nine loss to Collingwood when they surrendered a 39-point half-time lead.

Ziebell told AFL.com.au North had entered the Suns clash with a poor mindset, but in the wake of the loss had vowed to bring a consistently strong work rate to every game for the rest of the season.

"I think the attitude we had in that game probably wasn't great, so first and foremost we addressed that and made sure that we keep bringing consistent effort week in, week out, and I think for the past seven weeks we've done that," Ziebell said.

"So there's been a big emphasis on bringing that each week and I think the numbers suggest we've improved in a lot of areas and defence is one of those – we've put a fair bit of emphasis into that as well."

Asked whether the Roos had started to wonder where their season was heading after the Gold Coast loss, Ziebell said they never lost faith they could turn things around, especially knowing their fixture was about to "open up a bit" after a tough early-season draw.

Since round 14, North has beaten Geelong, Essendon, the Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Melbourne, St Kilda and ladder-leader Fremantle, to climb to seventh on the ladder with 13 wins.

The Roos have probably already done enough to clinch a finals berth – they are two games and 9.1 per cent clear of ninth-placed Geelong with two rounds remaining – but they will formally book a top-eight spot with one win from their final two rounds. They take on the Western Bulldogs on Saturday and Richmond in round 23.

Last week's clash with the Dockers at Etihad Stadium marked the start of a tough three-week stretch for North heading into the finals, with the Tigers (fifth) and Bulldogs (sixth) also likely finalists.

Match preview: Kangaroos v Bulldogs

But if the Roos do qualify, Ziebell says these games would be the perfect preparation for their finals campaign.

"Obviously, we get to play two quality teams in the next two weeks. We're expecting finals-like intensity and it's something that will hold us in good stead hopefully coming into [the finals]," he says.

"If we can go out there against the Bulldogs on the weekend and play well, that would give us the confidence that if we play them in the finals we know we can get the job done."

Ziebell says the confidence North took from its finals wins over Essendon and Geelong last year would also bolster it this September.

"Before last year's finals series we'd played in one final under Brad Scott as a coach and I think winning a couple of finals really helped our confidence on the big stage," he says.

"We understand what it takes now and obviously playing in a prelim (against the Sydney Swans) and getting belted hurt a little bit.

"Everyone's excited to hopefully get back there and see what we can do."