It was another close finish for North Melbourne on Saturday night.
This time it was at Domain Stadium against Fremantle, with the home side doing enough to edge out the Roos by just five points.
There was plenty to unpack post-match when Brad Scott talked with the media.
In-game injuries
“They (the injuries) were significant tonight, but the fact that they came back on is really positive. They certainly got hurt at the wrong times, not that there’s ever a good time.”
At times North’s bench resembled the walking wounded. Jack Ziebell, Ben Brown and Todd Goldstein all spent time off the ground being treated for various ailments, but it was the latter’s absence which proved the most crucial deep in crunch time.
With 6:15 remaining in the final term, Goldstein landed awkwardly after a boundary throw-in and had to be assisted from the field.
In the next 4:15 of game time while he was off the field being worked on, there were four crucial stoppages.
Fremantle was able to get first possession at all four of them, with the last one resulting in a clearance and Michael Johnson goal to cut the margin to one point.
Closing out games
“We’ve been here before. 2013 we were probably playing a lot above where most metrics would have put us, and we lost a hell of a lot of close games to just miss the finals.
“Statistically (it was) a really good year for us, but the stat that mattered most was closing out close games. We addressed that, 14, 15, 16 was pretty reasonable in that area, we won some pretty big games and some finals.”
With North’s record in close games under the microscope, Brad Scott pointed to how the side was able to deal with the disappointment in 2013.
After one of those close losses four years ago, the coach had a similar message:
“This season is unfolding in extraordinary circumstances for us and it can be the making of us or the undoing of us.
"We've got to make sure it's the making of us and if you do have great intestinal fortitude and character, you build on these things and this could be a platform for the future.”
In 2013 North had a 2-6 record in games decided by 10 points or less. Over the following three seasons it improved to 7-4.
The lessons learned from the close games in 2013 and the extra familiarity which came with a team playing through the tough times together helped for the future. Scott and North Melbourne will be hoping the same thing happens once again.
Empathising with the umpires
“It’s not a consistent rule, it’s hard to adjudicate. It’s not black and white so whether we like it or not it’s never going to be consistent. The umpire’s trying to think ‘did he do enough to keep it in?’
“So he’s got to make that decision and make a call. We’d all be inconsistent if we were asked to adjudicate that rule. It’s not the umpires.”
In the third quarter there was a deliberate out of bounds paid against North. Just minutes after there was a similar passage of play, this time whistled for a throw-in.
It’s the second week in a row Scott has been quizzed about a contentious play post-match, and he was measured in his take, with plenty of empathy for the umpires tasked with adjudicating the rule.
