BRAD Scott is fully aware finishing ninth might be good enough to play finals this year and says North Melbourne would grab that opportunity with both hands if it eventuates.

However, the Roos coach has not raised that possibility with his players, saying the "strange situation" created by the ASADA-AFL investigation into Essendon's 2012 supplements program was beyond North's control.

After 17 rounds North sits 13th on the ladder with a 6-10 record that sees it three games behind eighth-placed Port Adelaide and two games behind ninth-placed Carlton.

While the Roos' chances of sneaking into the eight are remote, their finals chances would improve significantly if the Bombers were stripped of their premiership points.

But Scott said on Wednesday he would not be using the possibility of a ninth-placed passage into the finals as a carrot for his players over the coming weeks.

"I think it is a strange situation, but I think if you start worrying about all those sort of things it's a bit like when you're on the cusp of playing finals and you start hoping other sides will lose - you take your eye off what's important," Scott said at Aegis Park.

"So we'll just keep working towards becoming a really good footy side."

Asked whether North would accept a finals spot if ninth place proved good enough, Scott said it would not hesitate.

"You never look a gift horse in the mouth, but I mean our situation is we've got some of the best sides in the competition (to come)," he said.

"If you think we've had a tough fixture to this point, well we've got some pretty tough games on the way home.

"But we look at them as opportunities, and whatever happens with the final eight if we finish ninth and we get a spot in the finals, then we want to make sure we're in good form and ready to attack the best teams in the comp."

After this Saturday's clash with Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, the Roos' run home will see them play Geelong, Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, Essendon, Hawthorn and Collingwood.

Scott said the Roos' would approach that stretch of games the same way they had approached the season to date – striving to win every game and to play a style of football that can beat the best teams.

Although the Roos have played three fewer players than any other team this season (30), Scott said the club would not focus on blooding more youngsters in the run home, saying he would not "gift" any player a senior game.

"I want to try them all but we don't select the team based on picking players that we think are going to be good players for us in the future," Scott said.

"We look at players who are doing the right things, performing well at VFL level and forcing their way into the side because you shouldn't get AFL games for free and we're certainly not about that.

"But fortunately we're not in that position because all the players that are pushing and right on the cusp … I'm really confident some will push through and we'll make some changes because … we've got players who through their form are saying 'You've got no choice but to pick me'."

Nick Bowen is a reporter with AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_Nick