NORTH Melbourne captain Brent Harvey has forecast his side's return to the finals in 2010 as it looks to rebound from last season's 13th-place finish.

Harvey believes "the sky's the limit" for North, which is starting to jell under new coach Brad Scott with the structure and game plan he has introduced.

After making a preliminary final in 2007 and narrowly missing the top four a year later, North battled injuries and the mid-season resignation of coach Dean Laidley in 2009 to win just seven games.

Harvey said the emergence of young teammates including Jack Ziebell, Liam Anthony, Ben Warren, Gavin Urquhart, Lachlan Hansen and Scott Thompson did not spell a rebuilding period for the club, but highlighted who was taking the opportunities handed to them.

"We're certainly not in a development phase and I would be disappointed if people were thinking that," the 31-year-old told afl.com.au.

"I don't think there's time for being in a development phase, no matter how young or how old your group is. I've got pretty high expectations for this group.

"I'd be thinking finals football for sure.

"You're not going to sit back and say, 'We're not going to make the eight this year'," he added. "We've got to put expectations on us to think we will."

Harvey, who missed seven games last year after dislocating his elbow, said he planned to resume at half-forward and also have an important role in the midfield, particularly at centre bounces.

He dismissed the notion that North's midfield could rely too heavily on him, best and fairest winner Andrew Swallow and Daniel Wells, who hopes to recover from osteitis pubis in time for round one.

Since last season, Adam Simpson has retired, Daniel Harris and Sam Power have been delisted while Brady Rawlings has continued to train as a defender.

"There's definitely not a deficiency," Harvey said. "Liam Anthony's a ball magnet and if he's up and about he's very good.

"Jack Ziebell will get a run through there. Then you have Matty Campbell, Lindsay Thomas and Ben Ross. Two of those three will probably be playing [in there] every week.

"All of a sudden, Gavin Urquhart moves to a wing and you're generating a lot of pace."

Harvey said draftees Ben Cunnington and Ryan Bastinac could also push for early selection if they developed as quickly as Ziebell, who made his debut in round one, 2009 and played 10 games before breaking his leg.

"I reckon it's a pretty big positive for the footy club with these guys all being young," he said. "Take me out of it and Daniel Wells is the next oldest at 25."

However, it seems Thomas is pushing hardest to make an impact after disappointing himself with his performances in the forward line last year.

Harvey said Thomas, Ross, Thompson, Nathan Grima, Drew Petrie and David Hale had been particularly impressive throughout the pre-season.

"To tell you the truth, we've probably been on his back since he's got here about working harder," Harvey said of Thomas.

"To his credit, this year he's come in and his time trials are all PBs and his skin folds are down, so he's been a standout."

Brent Harvey averaged 88.5 points as a forward/midfielder in last year’s Toyota AFL Dream Team.