NORTH Melbourne will head into this Friday night's preliminary final against the Sydney Swans as rank outsiders, but skipper Andrew Swallow says the Roos can upset the Swans and go on to win the premiership.

North finished the home and away season in sixth spot and last Friday night defeated Geelong to become just the third team since 2000 to finish outside the top four and qualify for a preliminary final.

The Swans finished the home and away on top of the ladder and will enter Friday night's game with the home ground advantage (ANZ Stadium) and the benefit of a week's rest.

However, North defeated the Swans in the teams' only clash this season, in round four at the SCG, and is undefeated against the other remaining teams in this year's premiership race, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide.

Swallow said on Monday North had been confident all season that its best football was good enough to beat any team.

"We're not just happy to pull up stumps now that we've made a prelim. We want to go all the way and we believe we can go all the way," he said.

"We believe that our best footy has always been able to beat all the good sides, and we've shown that.

"So we've just got to keep going and continue that belief and (if) a couple of things go our way on the weekend we could see ourselves in a Grand Final, and when you get there you never know what can happen."

North could be without Brent Harvey for Friday night's game after the Match Review Panel offered the star veteran a one-match suspension for his bump on Geelong skipper Joel Selwood last Friday night.

The Roos announced on Monday afternoon that they would challenge Harvey's suspension at the Tribunal.

Speaking before the MRP announced its decision, Swallow said North was not frustrated that Harvey, who had just returned from a three-match suspension last Friday night, had put himself at risk more time on the sidelines.

Swallow said Harvey's bump on Selwood, which opened a cut above the Geelong skipper's right eye, had been "just a bit of bad luck".

Swallow said defenders Lachlan Hansen (hip) and Jamie Macmillan, who was substituted out of the second semi-final with a hamstring injury, remained chances of playing against the Swans.

"I know he's been trying to get himself up and about and he was doing some work over the weekend - I spoke to him yesterday and he said he's feeling good," Swallow said of Hansen.

"But he hasn't played footy for a while now, so we'll have to wait and see what the coaches decide."

Swallow said the results of scans on Macmillan's hamstring had been better than North had anticipated.

"I think he may have done a little run this morning, so that's all positive signs," Swallow said.

"But in any of these big games you want to go in with fit guys … we'll have to wait and see how he pulls up later in the week."

As North prepares to tackle a Swans' forward line boasting tall options including Lance Franklin, Kurt Tippett, Sam Reid and Adam Goodes, Swallow said Tippett's younger brother Joel could earn a recall with the Roos.

Tippett has not played a senior game since suffering a pectoral injury against Geelong in round 10, but returned in the VFL last month.

"I think he was pretty close even for the Essendon game, especially with Lachy not being available," Swallow said.

"He's been doing everything with us (at training). If he gets the nod, I think he'll be fine."

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