North Melbourne has hit back hard after a week of soul-searching to trounce fellow finals aspirant Geelong by 41 points in a crunch game at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

Boosted by the return of coach Brad Scott to the coach's box after missing four games following back surgery, the Kangaroos bounced back from their humiliating 55-point loss to Gold Coast to post a third successive victory over Geelong, winning 18.12 (120) to 11.13 (79).

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Compounding matters for the Cats, skipper Joel Selwood could face scrutiny for a 'chicken-wing tackle' on Sam Wright, which earned the ire of the surrounding Kangaroos.

Selwood was later momentarily stunned by a head knock from Sam Gibson.

It seemed the Cats were always going to find it difficult to overcome an unprecedented break of 20 days since their round 12 loss to Melbourne on July 21 – courtesy of a bye and then the cancellation of their clash with Adelaide last week following the tragic death of Crows coach Phil Walsh.

Geelong started well, conceding the first goal but kicking three of the next four to lead by six points after 19 minutes.

With their season on the line, North responded with eight of the next nine goals to establish what would become a match-winning 33-point lead by half-time.

The Roos got the job done after causing a pre-match shock by giving the substitute's vest to champion 398-gamer Brent Harvey. It was a major surprise given the importance of the contest, with both teams at least a game and considerable percentage outside the top eight.

The Cats had their own veteran sub, James Kelly, who entered the fray in the first term when star Steve Johnson was assessed for concussion after being crunched in a marking contest. Johnson returned early in the second term and was dangerous at times but didn't have his usual influence.

Harvey also had his first run via the concussion sub after teenager Kayne Turner copped a heavy hit. Turner didn't pass the test and the Roos games record-holder was his typical busy self.

North was also superbly served by dominant ruckman Todd Goldstein (19 touches, 47 hitouts and a goal), while Ben Cunnington (22 disposals) was influential with his creative hand-passing setting up many forward thrusts.

Skipper Andrew Swallow (24 and two goals) was prominent in tight, while Ryan Bastinac (28) and Nick Dal Santo (24) proved elusive with their run and carry.

Cats champion Jimmy Bartel once again proved he is a marvel. In his first senior game since suffering a knee injury in round three, the 31-year-old amassed a game-high and equal career-best 41 possessions (11 kicks and 30 handballs), and never seemed to run out of legs.

Selwood (25) battled hard to lift his side against overwhelming odds, while Cameron Guthrie (26), Josh Caddy (20), Jordan Murdoch (20 and two goals) and Andrew Mackie (21 and two goals) tried to follow their skipper's lead.

A surprise packet was young Roo Taylor Garner. In his first senior game since making two appearances in 2013, the 21-year-old kicked two goals in the second term, including a superb snap that put North 33 points up just before the half-time siren. Garner should have nailed another in the third term but missed a regulation set shot.

The Cats came out hard in the third term with Jordan Murdoch hammering home a long bomb within 20 seconds, but North reasserted their authority with four of the next six goals to jump out to a game-high advantage of 38 points by the last change.

Geelong added three of the first four goals of the last quarter before North again kicked away.

North coach Brad Scott was proud of his team's response to the loss to the Suns, declaring it was "close" to the Roos' best four-quarter performance of the season.

"The players were fantastic tonight," Scott said after the game.

"I thought it was on the back of effort in the contest and defensive pressure and we got the opportunity to score.

"We were really focused at half-time to make sure we came out in the third quarter and really kept up the sort of effort that was … keeping us ahead on the scoreboard.

"I thought Geelong really came at us. Everyone in footy knows how well they can move the ball and when they get a roll on they can be pretty hard to stop. While it was a nil-all draw in that third term, it was almost as telling as our seven-goal-to-one second quarter."

The Kangaroos have the chance to build some momentum and consistency over the next month or so, in five games they will be expected to win against Essendon, Brisbane Lions (away), Carlton, Melbourne and St Kilda.

Meanwhile, the Cats face a huge clash with top-eight side Western Bulldogs (at Simonds Stadium), followed by a tricky away clash with Greater Western Sydney.

NORTH MELBOURNE 3.2 10.5 14.7 18.12 (120)
GEELONG 3.3 4.8 7.11 11.13 (79)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Higgins 3, Petrie 3, Garner 2, Waite 2, Swallow 2, Atley, Cunnington, Turner, Goldstein, Gibson, Macmillan
Geelong: Murdoch 2, Walker 2, Mackie 2, Johnson 2, Stokes, Selwood, Hawkins

BEST
North Melbourne: Goldstein, Higgins, Cunnington, Bastinac, Swallow, Dal Santo, Waite
Geelong: Bartel, Selwood, Guthrie, Caddy, Murdoch, Mackie

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Robin Nahas (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by Kayne Turner
Geelong: TBC

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Brent Harvey, replaced Kayne Turner at three quarter time
Geelong: James Kelly, replaced Mathew Stokes in the third term

Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, Hosking, McInerney
Crowd: 31,270