North Melbourne co-captain Jy Simpkin says he's excited with the form of young forward Cooper Harvey and ruck Tristan Xerri.
Harvey, taken at pick 56 in the 2022 national draft as a father-son selection, has proven to be a damaging forward in the VFL this season, booting 20 goals from 11 appearances in a side that currently sits sixth on the ladder.
A dominant performance against Williamstown at Arden Street on Sunday has seen the 18-year-old again stake his claim for a debut, which Simpkin believes is coming soon.
"Coop actually travelled over to Adelaide with us and caught the flight back Saturday night, so for him to rock up here on Sunday and have the day he did (was great)," Simpkin told reporters at Arden Street on Tuesday.
"I think he kicked five goals, had 20 touches and he actually passed two or three off himself.
"Over the last month I think he's had a couple of big games where he's kicked a handful of goals so its super exciting and if he keeps going the way he's going he's definitely going to get his chance.
"All the boys love him, he's a great character to have around the club and obviously with the famous Harvey name I'm sure the fans are pumped as well."
Ruck Tristan Xerri is also pushing for a return to the senior side, having played back-to-back games in the reserves since his return from a syndesmosis injury.
Like Harvey, the 24-year-old was among the best on ground against the Seagulls, and finished with 29 disposals, 31 hitouts and 11 clearances.
"I think 'Big X' has worked his backside off to get back," Simpkin mentioned.
"He's trained super hard, he's looking super fit and on the weekend he showed exactly what he's going to be for us in the future.
"(There's) no doubt he'll come back into the side at some stage, whether it's this week or next week."
Next on the agenda for Simpkin and North Melbourne is a trip to the Cattery on Sunday to face Geelong, who will hope to claw their way back into the top eight.
"It’s a massive game, especially after the weekend's performance (in Adelaide)," he said.
"Before the bye I think the boys were all trending up but on the weekend we had a dip in performance.
"We're as hungry as ever as well, I know they're (Geelong) in a position where they probably need to win to keep their finals chances alive but, in our position, we can't afford to just be comfortable with where we are.
"We need to be hunting teams week in, week out and that’s going to be no different this week. A lot of us are sick and tired about just being competitive, we really want to take the next step.
"Whether that happens this week, next week or over the next eight or nine weeks we're not sure, but we're definitely doing everything we can off the field and here at training to take that next step."
