ONE PASSAGE of play at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night summed up North Melbourne's desperation. 

It came at the four-minute mark of the final quarter when North was already 76 points up on Fremantle. Lightning quick Freo forward Hayden Ballantyne had taken the ball on the defensive side of the wing and taken off.

Although they had little hope of catching him, North defenders Scott Thompson and Brady Rawlings chased him. And chased him. For about 50m.

They might not have caught him in a tackle but they got close. And their pressure forced Ballantyne into kicking a harmless grubber into Freo's forward 50 that the Kangaroos were able to repel.

After the match, Thompson told kangaroos.com.au the Ballantyne chase had reflected North's determination to break its habit of easing up late in games when it had the opposition at its mercy.

"Over the last few years we haven't finished off teams like we'd like to when we get in front," Thompson said.  "So it was good to get nearly a 100-point win. It was good to see the boys not just packing up and taking a victory. "

North's victory over Freo was built on many things. Its dominant midfield led by Andrew Swallow (30 disposals), Ryan Bastinac (26) and Daniel Wells (25). Its potent forward line, where aerial targets Cameron Pedersen and Aaron Edwards  (both three goals) and small forwards Lindsay Thomas and Matt Campbell gelled well on a night when Freo defender Luke McPharlin held Drew Petrie to a rare quiet night.

But the North defence's effort to hold Freo to a score of 45 points - only a rushed behind after the final siren saved them from equalling their lowest score against the Kangaroos - was just as important.

And, in that back six, Thompson stood out. Alternating between a range of opponents that principally included Chris Mayne, Thompson defended vigorously when he had to, but at all other times backed himself, intercepting Freo attacks and counterattacking.

Thompson racked up 21 possessions - more than all bar five Freo players - took eight marks, had three rebound 50s and two score assists.

He said North's defence had worked well as a team against Freo and had really started to jell.

 "It was a good team effort. We really worked on our defence during the week to get a few things right," Thompson said.

"Obviously the midfield played their role and put heaps of pressure on. When there's pressure up the ground it's a lot easier to defend."

Along with Rawlings and Michael Firrito, Thompson has been one of the constants in North's defence in 2011. And, of North's key defensive options, he has been the one constant.

Nathan Grima's injury troubles this year have meant North has also rotated promising youngsters Luke Delaney and Robbie Tarrant through its key defensive posts.

But Grima made an impressive return against Freo after four weeks in the VFL as North continues to put its injury-plagued start to the year behind it.
 
And the Kangaroos will need all hands on deck as they make a late bid to make the finals. To do so, they will have to win their final two games (against St Kilda and Richmond) and hope that the Sydney Swans lose at least two of their last three (St Kilda, Geelong and Brisbane Lions).

It's a challenge Thompson is looking forward to, starting with next Saturday night's game against the Saints.

"St Kilda just pipped us the last time we played them and we're loving that we get to play them again," he said.

"We want to redeem ourselves, so we're going to come out hard this week."