North Melbourne won't "dig too deep" into an ugly 85-point loss to Hawthorn, with coach Alastair Clarkson insisting the club's recent body of work is more important.
The Kangaroos had won two of their previous three games, including an upset over Carlton last round, heading into Saturday's clash in Launceston.
It went pear-shaped from the outset, with the Hawks piling on 23 goals and dishing out North Melbourne's heaviest loss of the season.
Clarkson said the result wasn't a step back for the Roos, who have won four games in 2025, one more than their tally for 2024.
"We've been pretty solid the last six or eight weeks but just disappointed we weren't strong enough in the contest early in the game," he said.
"We don't want to dig too deep on it, be too forensic.
"We want to look at the block of work that has been done over the last six or eight weeks. We're making some good progress but came up against a good side."
North Melbourne will have to dust themselves off quickly for Thursday's night clash against the Western Bulldogs -- a celebratory game for the club's 100th birthday.
They will be without young gun George Wardlaw, who will sit out under concussion protocols after suffering a head knock.
The 21-year-old also missed games last season with concussion.
"He's OK. He can remember the game. He's combative in the way that he plays. That is going to happen from time to time," Clarkson said.
The coach said the Kangaroos were still making strides forward with their rookies, noting 19-year-old Will Dawson played his first game of the season against Hawthorn.
"We see him as a key-position player for the future," Clarkson said.
"All those little things, they haven't helped us win a game, but they're steps forward for our footy club and for those players."