North Melbourne midfielder Nathan Hrovat believes his side can match it with the best in the AFL this season, and says the Roos are aiming for September football.
Many experts are predicting the Roos to struggle this season and finish inside the bottom four for the second year in a row, although Hrovat doesn't agree with those predictions.
The 23-year-old says North should be aiming for a top eight finish, regardless of their past and the youth in their side.
“If you look back a couple of years at this time of the year – the year the Dogs won it and last year Richmond won it – I don’t think anyone was giving them much of a chance,” Hrovat said on SEN’s Time On with Sam McClure on Friday night.
“You look at us last year, if we won a few of those close games we were right up in the mix of playing finals.
“There’s obviously no feeling for us and we understand that, but we firmly set our sights on the finals this year.
“Anyone who doesn’t believe they are a genuine chance are probably kicking themselves to be honest. Over the past couple of years the competition has just become so close that I think anyone can perform.
“Everyone is a genuine chance and I guess that is the exciting part of the competition.”
Hrovat played all 22 games in his first season for the Roos in 2017, after 30 games in four seasons for the Bulldogs.