"They've really needed the break," he said.

FitzGerald said the group was as tired and flat as he had seen it at training on Wednesday night.

The Selkirk Roosters earned a week's break with a 32-point win over Casey Scorpions in a qualifying final on Sunday.

Their next assignment will be a preliminary final at Port Melbourne on Sunday, September 12.

North Ballarat will face the winner of the Port Melbourne and Box Hill Hawks elimination final.

FitzGerald said it had been a long, hard road to the finals - tough physically and mentally on his young team.

North Ballarat had a couple of weeks off mid-season before tackling the last eight matches without interruption.

He said quite a few players had been sore ahead of the last home-and-away assignment against Geelong.

FitzGerald said those who had not experienced finals football at this level before commented on how much more intense the clash with the Scorpions had been.

He said there had been no focus on the preliminary final at all this week.

FitzGerald said he had backed off the workload to freshen up the players and would turn his attention to their next opponent from Monday.

There will be no training at the weekend.

The two-time premiership coach said he would be telling his players to stay away from the VFL finals this weekend.

FitzGerald said he and his coaching panel would attend the Port Melbourne and Box Hill clash.

NORTH Melbourne trio Marcus White, Brayden Norris and Luke Delaney trained with the Roosters on Wednesday night.

They are among eight Kangaroos eligible to play with North Ballarat, with David Hale, Corey Jones, the injured Leigh Harding (ribs), and delisted duo of Josh Smith and Warren Benjamin.

However, only six will line up in the preliminary final.

Harding will not be fit, while Benjamin will not make the cut.