NORTH Melbourne's Leigh Adams says the season-ending 65-point loss to St Kilda on Saturday night proved to the players that there was a long way to go before they could match the top sides in the competition.

The 23-year-old midfielder, who gathered 19 possessions and slotted two goals, said it was disappointing to falter with the prospect of finals on the line and insisted the club had to make significant inroads next year.

"I think we got that reality check that most of the media have been talking about this year - we just haven't been able to match up to the big boys," Adams said.

"It gives us something to go for in the pre-season, to know that we're not going to go anywhere unless we match it with these good teams."

From an individual standpoint, Adams has finally been able to consistently string consecutive games together, playing 20 of a possible 21 matches this season after a horror run with injury in the past.

A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in 2008 and persistent shoulder, thumb and hamstring injuries kept Adams to 22 matches over four seasons prior to this year.

In December last year he also had minor surgery to fix a heart condition, supraventricular tachycardia, which caused his heart rate to soar at moments of extreme exertion.

Adams played down the significance of the condition, which would have affected his aerobic performance during a game.

"To be honest with you it was sort of blown up a little more than it was. I had one or two incidents but I got it fixed, and it hasn't affected me too much, so I don't really worry about it at all," he said.

Adams says he has benefited from finally being able to get his body right, and it has shown in his football this year as he has averaged 19 possessions and kicked 16 goals.

"Obviously I missed a fair bit of footy early on. It's good to get out there, so 20 games this year has been good."

"I've still got a long way to go in getting my fitness, but it's a step in the right direction."

A former Victoria Metro captain at under-18 level, it was surprising to many that Adams was not selected in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.

He was given an opportunity at North Melbourne as a rookie, and after some outstanding form for Tasmania in the VFL was promoted to the senior list four rounds into the 2007 season.

Coach Brad Scott knew at the start of the year that Adams was an important cog in the North Melbourne machine after placing fourth in the best and fairest in 2010.

"We've always rated him really highly. He came fourth in our best and fairest last year and he missed seven games, so he was a vitally important member of our squad," Scott said at the time.

"He looks a really seasoned AFL player now."

Adams' hardness over the football has become a staple of his game, something he says Scott has really tried to push.

"I probably don't have the natural ability and talent of a fair few other players so I've got to try to make up for that in other ways," Adams said.

"Brad said he'd play competitors over flashy players any day, so I've just got to make sure I get a game every week."

While it was all doom and gloom after the loss, Adams believed the talented young group could reach the next stage in their development in 2012, and use Saturday night's result to spur them on during the pre-season.

"Obviously we got a reality check tonight, and that's going to burn for the whole of the pre-season," he said.

"Hopefully next year we can come back and not just be a talented side, but actually get some results."