NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott says he won't know whether his team has regained the aggressive mindset that was so sorely lacking against Adelaide in round one until Sunday's clash against the Brisbane Lions.
The Roos could scarcely have opened the 2015 season in worse fashion when they were thumped by 77 points last Sunday by Adelaide.
The Crows belted North in contested possessions 142-115 – an area that has been a strength for the Roos under Scott – and were the latest team to expose the Roos' weakness against power forwards, with Crows skipper Taylor Walker starring with 6.5.
Scott told reporters on Thursday that his players had been "absolutely devastated" by their performance against the Crows and he had been pleased with their response this week in team meetings and on the training track.
But when asked if his players had regained their normal aggressive mindset, Scott said he wouldn't know until they took the field against the Lions.
"You never know until you get out and actually do it," Scott said at Arden Street ahead of North's main training session.
"I said on Sunday afternoon that words are pretty hollow, they're pretty meaningless.
"It's about actions and unfortunately you have seven days to wait until you can do something about it. I expect that on Sunday."
Scott was tight-lipped about the Roos' likely selections this week, saying he did not give any thought to calls from some commentators for wholesale team changes and big-name casualties.
Scott said the Roos would do some contested drills on Thursday but not as punishment for their performance against Adelaide.
"We'll do some competitive work today mainly because our effort in the contest was just substandard so that's the main reason for that," the Roos coach said.
"In terms of punishment, the players have been punished enough and anyone who thinks they haven't hasn't been involved in football clubs.
"I think the players are absolutely devastated with their performance after a really good preparation, so we're really keen to atone."
Scott said North had worked really hard in the pre-season to overcome its weakness against opposition power forwards.
He said the dominance of Walker and his fellow Adelaide forwards had been as much a product of his team's lack of defensive pressure up the ground as it was his defenders' fault.
However, Scott said the pre-season form of Tippett and fellow key defenders Robbie Tarrant and Scott Thompson suggested North could overcome its Achilles heel.
"Joel Tippett, Robbie Tarrant and Scott Thompson had to take Taylor Walker and his crew (in the NAB Challenge), the next week they took Jarryd Roughead and his crew, the week after was Jack Riewoldt and his guys and they did a good job," Scott said.
"So we had confidence going in that we trained it really well.
"But I think we conceded almost 40 inside 50s in the first half (against the Crows), so you're going to be an unbelievable defence if you can hold up under that sort of pressure."
Scott said Lachie Hansen (hips) would not be rushed back into North's team for the Lions clash after recently resuming full training, but could return in round three against Port Adelaide.
The key defender will play his first game of the year in a VFL practice match with Werribee this Sunday.
