BRAD Scott says North Melbourne must win Saturday night's clash with Adelaide at Etihad Stadium if it is serious about making a run at this year's finals series.

This season, North has lost to Port Adelaide, St Kilda, the Sydney Swans and Collingwood, and Scott said his players had to rebound from last week's 66-point thumping from the Pies.

"It's really important with the situation of where we are," Scott said before Friday morning's light training session at Arden Street.

"At 3-4, it's a huge game for us.

"We really need to get our season back on track and eventually get our heads above water. There's a huge difference between 4-4 or going 3-5."

Scott said his players could not get their hands on the ball against Collingwood last week which was why the Pies dictated proceedings in their comfortable win.

He said the emphasis this week was on North playing the game on its own terms, however, he conceded that would not be an easy task against a team that was not only showing signs of improvement but enjoyed a good record against the Kangaroos.

“I think the footy they played in the last quarter is really reflective of the footy Adelaide can play,” Scott said.

“I think most of the AFL community has expected Adelaide to be a top four or five side this year and they produced the footy that we all know they’re capable of.

“We know that it’s going to be a challenge this week and we’ve had a really poor record against them in the past, so you know we’re looking forward to turning that around.”

In fact, the Crows have won their past eight clashes against North Melbourne, which has made three changes for Saturday night’s game as Scott tries to find the right mix to end that sequence.

While Drew Petrie remains at least a couple of weeks off resuming, fellow tall forward Josh Smith earns his chance after some impressive form in the VFL.

Daniel Pratt is another who has earned a recall - the veteran defender set to play his first senior match of the season - but Leigh Adams and Liam Anthony are both out through injury.

Scott said Anthony, who is likely to miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, was devastated by the blow.

“He’s shattered as all players are when they suffer season-ending injuries,” he said.

“But it gives him a chance to work on some areas of his footy that he feels are a bit of a weakness. It’s very frustrating in terms of him not being able to play, but in terms of him coming back and being a better player, this is a good opportunity for him in a way.

“You’ve always got to find a silver lining.”