History is against North Melbourne if it aims to feature in its second consecutive finals series this year.

With 11 of 22 home and away games played, the Roos sit 12th on the ladder with a 5-6 win-loss record.

They join the Western Bulldogs (11th) and Port Adelaide (10th) with 20 points at the midway point of the season.

All three clubs are just one game behind four teams – Hawthorn, Adelaide, Richmond and Geelong – which sit on 24 points after 11 rounds.

History suggests teams that are placed 6-5 after 11 games were predicted to feature in finals 65 per cent of the time, as per statistics obtained by the Herald Sun.

On the other hand, just 24 per cent of teams that entered the second half of the season with a 5-6 record were expected to take part in September action.

But don’t get too discouraged just yet – the Roos have history on their side.

The North squad of 2012 was the most recent team to register five wins after 11 games and still play finals.

In that year, in fact, the Roos came back from an even more precarious position, with their bye round taking place in round 11.

They entered their break with a 4-6 win-loss record, but won 10 of the last 13 games after the bye to finish eighth with a 14-8 ratio.

North could use previous years as a guide to what they’ll need to achieve in the second half of the season to play finals.

Since the implementation of the top eight system, every team to have reached 50 premiership points, equivalent to 12-and-a-half wins, has played in September – the only exception being the 2013 Essendon side that was excluded from finals for bringing the game into disrepute.