NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott is confident his team will give a good account of itself if it makes this year’s finals series.
North’s 98-point win over Fremantle at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night helped it climb to ninth spot on the ladder and within two points of the eighth-placed Sydney Swans.
The Swans have a game in hand on North, so to dislodge them from the eight the Kangaroos will have to win their two remaining games (against St Kilda and Richmond at Etihad Stadium) and rely on the Swans dropping two of their remaining three games (St Kilda at ANZ Stadium, Geelong at Skilled Stadium and the Brisbane Lions at the SCG).
Scott said his team’s focus would be solely on winning its final two games, but he said if North could get over St Kilda and Richmond - especially the Saints next Saturday night - it would deserve a finals spot and, more importantly, be ready to compete with the competition’s best teams.
"I’m also really conscious that we’ve got to be playing the sort of footy that is worthy of being a finals team," Scott said.
"[There is] no point getting into eighth and getting obliterated in the first week of the finals, so we’ve still got to improve and we’ll get a really good test next week against a genuinely good side in St Kilda."
Scott said St Kilda’s improved form in the second half of this season was up there with that of top-four contenders like Carlton and Hawthorn.
Although North was beaten by the St Kilda as recently as round 15, Scott said his players would take confidence from getting within nine points of the Saints on that occasion after being thrashed in both their 2010 encounters.
Click here to view the best clips from the win
Although the Roos finished ninth last year and missed the finals only on percentage, Scott said they had not been ready to play in September at the time. But he said there were signs North was ready now.
"We’re really confident [taking on St Kilda] because the players … have now had enough time to understand the way I want them to play and the way the coaches want them to play and they’re starting to execute that really well," Scott said.
"This year I tend to think it would be great for our boys to experience a final but we’ve still got to play well enough to get there and the great thing is we’ve got to beat St Kilda to get there. And if in round 23 you beat a side like St Kilda then I don’t think anyone could argue you’re not worthy."
Scott was also buoyed by the even spread of contributors North had against Fremantle.
In the past, the Kangaroos have, at times, been heavily reliant on captain Brent Harvey, vice-captain Drew Petrie and Daniel Wells, but 10 of North’s 22 had at least 20 possessions against the Dockers.
Just four players - including Jack Ziebell who was subbed off early in the second quarter after a heavy collision left him with possible internal injuries - had less than 15.
"It’s the first time in a long time we’ve had that level of contribution from 22 players," Scott said.
Scott lauded the debut of 19-year-old rookie Aaron Mullett, who was elevated from North’s rookie list on Wednesday.
Mullett had 17 possessions against Freo and showed equal measures of pace and courage, having put his head over the ball all night, including once in the second quarter when he was collected front on by Clayton Hinkley, who was reported for the incident.
Widely perceived as a dour and one-paced team earlier this season, Scott was confident North was now getting its mix of inside and outside players right.
"We knew that was an area we needed to address, we needed to get some speed and some flair into our midfield," Scott said. "Not that Daniel Wells, Lindsay Thomas and Matty Campbell are lacking in that area.
"We think in one draft we made a significant improvement in that area with Shaun Atley and Kieran Harper coming into the side. And I think it’s been only about the second game of the year that Campbell and Thomas have played together too.
"So we’re starting to develop that synergy with those players and get a good mix of the inside ball-winners and the outside speed which can give us a bit more polish."
While acknowledging Fremantle’s spate of recent injuries had it "running on empty", Scott paid tribute to his medical and sports science staff that had got North’s list back close to full fitness following its "disastrous" run of injuries over the pre-season.
Scott said he had spoken to Ziebell after the game and it was thought he had suffered only minor injuries. He was, however, awaiting the results of precautionary tests.
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