RUCKMAN Max Bailey says the Hawks are under no illusions about North Melbourne, declaring the team won’t be taking the Roos lightly when the teams meet at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

North Melbourne currently sit 10^th on the AFL and out of finals contention, though that could change if the AFL strips Essendon of its points or, opportunity to participate in the 2013 finals series.

If any decision on the Bombers regarding finals is reached, that would put the Kangaroos back in contention – fighting with Carlton for the eighth finals spot.

But it’s not just the Kangaroos with much to play for on Saturday – a win for Hawthorn would almost certainly sew up a top two finish, given the Cats and Swans face-off on Saturday evening.

Bailey says securing the home final provides his team adds extra motivation to the desire to defeat a team he believes, could have been a top four side had results gone its way.

“We’ve got a bit to work for because if we win, we could potentially sew up top spot or at least a top two spot, so there’s a lot of motivation for us,” he told hawthornfc.com.au

“There’s a lot of motivation for them too though, they’re a decent team who arguably should be top eight, and maybe top four if things had gone their way.”

The Hawks ruckman says the contest between the two sides earlier this season, in Round 5, is enough to illustrate the Hawks won’t be in cruise control on Saturday.

Hawthorns defeated North Melbourne by just three points at the MCG in that game and, in many ways, were the beneficiaries of their opponents’ inability to convert.

The Roos kicked 13.18 for the match, unable to capitalise on their dominance through large portions of the game.

Finals football though is in the back of the team’s mind, with the Hawks aiming to produce hard and tough footy consistent with finals in the last two rounds of the season.

“We only beat them by three points the last time we played them, so they’re not a side you look at and think ‘we’re just going to take it easy’, there’s not too many of them anyway,” he said.

“We need to build some momentum into the finals too, because we’ve got Sydney the week after so we won’t be taking it easy at all.

“We want to be playing our brand; we want to play that finals type football, which we know is going to hold up in the big games.

“So that comes down to our mindset and making sure we’re doing everything right.”