BEFORE joining us at the end of last season, Anthony Rock was an assistant coach at St Kilda for two years.

This week he has given us some pretty good insight into how the Saints play but his message at Wednesday's training session hit home: they work so hard for each other and make sure they help one another out every chance they get.

That's what we've been trying to do ourselves though we have been pretty inconsistent. It has a fair bit to do with the kids we've brought in.

Sometimes they're so excited just to be out there they might forget or get a bit distracted when we want to roll over opponents. In saying that, it also happens to the older players as well.

I think it comes back to a trust thing, because it's all player-driven.

You put St Kilda's midfield up against ours where we've used Ben Ross, Jack Ziebell and Sam Wright through the centre the last couple of weeks. They've played about 20 games between them.

We went up against Geelong a couple of weeks ago and even Brisbane has a pretty good midfield. It's another chance to see where we're at and how the kids can learn from it.

Every week they're getting better and better and it's up to the leaders and core players to really show the way from the first bounce, because they'll follow.

I was asked whether it was hard to be a senior player in a young side where there was a greater chance than not of losing to a team like St Kilda.

We never go into a game thinking we're going to lose. Never.

But when you look at the players we've turned over from last year there's a fair bit of experience gone and that hasn't really happened to North before.

We've always drafted ready-made players and have never really been in this position. 'Bottomed out' isn't the right term but we have started getting the young kids in and blooding them so we can plan for the future.

We've always lived on the edge as a club, financially and footy-wise to some extent. Because we know we're going to be in Melbourne for good now - with the new facility coming up - I think it gives the club a bit more confidence to start playing these kids.

Injuries create opportunities too, but if we can let them play 30 or 40 games together then we can see where they're heading.

I spend time with both Anthony as our midfield coach and Darren Bewick, who's in charge of the forwards.

Anthony has brought in a structure where teams don't tend to score so many goals against us through the midfield and from stoppages.

Last year it was happening pretty heavily. It goes to show the work he's done because we're now pretty good in that area.

Once we get Brent Harvey back in the side, he's going to give us some more attack and lift other players as well.

Anthony keeps it pretty simple and is able to see what can happen if we do something a certain way. He often tells us, 'Don't get dictated too much'.

Think about it: there are two teams out there and you can't be following the other like a sheep. You'll get slaughtered.

The work the coaches put in is phenomenal but they can only do so much.

As line groups we have our meetings but every now and then all the players catch up for breakfast to see where everybody's at, what they're doing and how they're going to improve.

Players offer their support but sometimes we really put it on each other and say, 'Hey, you're not doing this. You've got to be pulling your weight'.

Feedback I've got has been to really take the game on. I suppose it's a little bit hard with the injuries I've had but the encouragement I've received from my teammates has been really good the last couple of weeks.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.