North Melbourne has won its past six matches against the Demons and will host Saturday afternoon's match at Etihad Stadium, a venue where Melbourne has also lost six on the trot.
But Bailey, who has named an unchanged line-up on the back of three straight victories, doesn't believe North or the ground should prove too much of a factor this time around.
“I think it's very difficult to rely on games of last year and the year before … I don't think that counts for much,” Bailey said from training on Friday morning.
“I think the form you're in presently is more important.”
There seemed a buoyant mood at Melbourne training on Friday morning although the coach believed his players had remained upbeat over the past two seasons despite a difficult time on the field.
However now they are enjoying their best run in almost four years, he senses their want to cash in.
“I think a lot of them are still driven by the last two years, and driven by where we were and driven by trying to make something happen,” Bailey said.
“So that’s the most pleasing thing. At the moment they’re really self-starting themselves during training and it’s showing.”
On Saturday the Kangaroos stand in the way of a fourth straight win.
Bailey travelled to Launceston last weekend to watch Brad Scott’s team beat Hawthorn and admitted being impressed by the Kangaroos’ gutsy victory. And he is looking forward to seeing his men test themselves again.
“I think it's going to be a pretty tough game,” he said.
“I don't see it being [anything] less than a physical, pressured game and I think that it's going to be a really good game to come and watch.”
Despite the Demons’ purple patch, Bailey isn’t getting carried away and believes his side has further improvement left.
The coach is refusing to talk finals, however, and is looking at his side’s progress in smaller steps.
“The first year I was here we won 23 quarters and last year we won 32,” he said. “For us to improve we’ve got to win more quarters of footy, and if that results in being in the game more often then that’s fantastic.
“We are coming from last the last two years and where we are now is just a small moment, a short period in a long season and our attitude and our application to ensure that we apply pressure for every minute of the game hasn’t changed.
“You can’t be a successful team if you only win 32 quarters, so we’ve got to win lots of quarters of footy and at the moment, I reckon we’re about even or are hanging in there for quarters won."
