If you can’t beat them, join them. That’s the philosophy North has adopted when it comes to the high-tackle controversy that has erupted again after Friday night’s loss to the Swans.

Scott, speaking on Fox Footy, said the club was forced to train “both sides” of the technique after a game in Perth in 2012 where the Eagles drew eight high free kicks and won the free kick count 29-15.

“We decided then and there if you can’t beat them, join them,” he told Fox Footy’s On The Couch.

“It’s a technique we work on to make sure we don’t give away free kicks and we train both sides of it, both in the tackle and laying the tackle

“It coaches our players to make sure they go low in the tackle so the players that are really good at drawing head high contact, we use them as crash test dummies to make sure the others are going low, to work on their technique.”

Scott said while the umpires continue to pay the frees, players will continue to duck their heads and drop their knees and while he’d prefer his players avoid the tactic, he admitted its part of the game.

“My personal view is that I don’t like players accentuating head high contact, but the reality is players have been incentivised to do this. It’s a tactic, it’s a technique that players put into place and umpires have clearly said if you get taken high, we’re going to pay a high free kick,” he said.

Scott again launched a spirited defence of Lindsay Thomas who was targeted after being paid two high-frees at the SCG.

“I’ve told Lindsay to stay strong and listen to the people who have his best interests at heart,” Scott said.

“There are always people who are going to single him out, but he gets unfairly criticised in my view.

“This is not a Lindsay Thomas issue, this is an AFL issue.”