MELBOURNE coach Mick Stinear has few worries about Tayla Harris' fitness ahead of Sunday's Grand Final against Brisbane.

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The Demons star, who has spent much of the season playing through the ruck, went down with a left shoulder injury in the opening quarter of her side's preliminary final win over North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. Able to play out the game in attack, it was a positional change focused on limiting contact for Harris, nursing her through the game.

"There was a bit of discomfort during the game, but she fought through it really well," Stinear said after the game.

"We took her out of the ruck, I guess just to limit the contact and really try and use her as a weapon forward and just gave Eden (Zanker) a chance to go in there, who was moving a bit more freely. But no, she's okay. But it was certainly uncomfortable for the majority of the game, but credit to her to keep fighting out and competing, so I can't see her wanting to miss out next week."

When pressed on Harris' availability, Stinear said he was not aware of his star being in any doubt for Sunday's big game.

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In Melbourne's round four game against Brisbane - the only loss the Demons have suffered this season - Harris was unavailable through suspension, so she looms as a wildcard for her side in this second meeting on Sunday.

Harris has played in three Grand Finals across her career, one for Brisbane back in 2017, and next weekend's will be her first against an opponent other than Adelaide.

Meanwhile North Melbourne's Darren Crocker was pensive and hopeful after his team was knocked out of the finals race.

"They certainly had a crack.," Crocker said of his charges.

"Probably my immediate reaction after the game to the coaches in the coach's box was that at no stage, did we really feel like the game was getting away from us. You know, we thought we were in the game pretty much for the whole way through."

Crocker was clear that the game was lost when his Kangaroos couldn't quite make the most of their third quarter dominance on the scoreboard, registering 18 inside 50s to Melbourne's two in that term, but netting just two points on the scoreboard.

"There's been a bit of a trend in the games against Melbourne that have lent itself to the fact that when they've got momentum, you know, they got a little bit of momentum in the last quarter and were able to put some scoreboard pressure on," he said.

"We obviously had all the momentum in that third quarter and just couldn't put any scoreboard pressure on, just couldn't find a way to score ... But I just thought that when they had the momentum, they made the most of it, and when we did, we couldn't make the most of it on the scoreboard."

But there were plenty of positives for Crocker, who has overseen a significant shift in the Roos' list this year alone and has set itself up for a long-term future.

"I'm pretty proud of our program and the players and what they've been able to achieve. I think we've come a long way even from season six, which was really only just at the start of this year to now season seven ... I feel like we've tightened the gap up between ourselves and the other three, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane," he said.