North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has urged his AFL players they’ll keep getting reward for effort if they stick to the fundamentals he is preaching.

How North back up this weekend from a stunning upset of Adelaide against fellow mid-table side St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Sunday could well determine their season’s direction.

The Kangaroos spun perceptions on their head with an impressive victory over the Crows after some less-than-flattering assessments of their efforts so far this season.

Now they face another critical game, with how they use their new-found momentum crucial – especially after the Kangaroos went into a slump after a similar huge upset of premiers Geelong in round three.

Scott says he’s looking to the quality of the performance against the Saints – urging his players the key to more wins is to do the basics well and build consistency.

“It was a really pleasing game last week, so to be able to back that up is important,” Scott said on Thursday.

“Even moreso than the result, the way we played, the way we went about it.

“Sometimes you can do a lot of work behind the scenes and it doesn’t always find its way to the surface.

“We’ve got to make sure we keep the foundation of our game solid and, hopefully, more results like last week will come.”

Scott is likely to maintain as much stability as possible in his side for the rest of the season, despite having a near-full list and in-form reserves players pressuring those in the seniors.

“You look at the stats – we have won three of our last four … things turn around pretty quickly,” he said.

“We’ve got to focus on the fundamentals.

“We’ll stick with the players that have been doing the job for us, even in the losses.

“If you’re not able to consistently perform at AFL level, there are others underneath ready to take your spot.”

Both North and the Saints are 6-6 – though St Kilda are in the top eight on percentage, with the Kangaroos 11th.