How North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein responds will be more important than his missed opportunity in Sunday's heartbreaking loss to Fremantle, according to coach Brad Scott.

Goldstein had a chance to win the game for his team in a four-point thriller at Etihad Stadium after he was awarded a free kick for holding in a ruck contest roughly 30m out on a slight angle. 

But his set shot sailed to the right with 22 seconds left, with the Kangaroos losing their fifth straight game, leaving them just one game ahead of the last-placed Brisbane Lions. 

Scott said he spoke to a disappointed Goldstein after the match and hoped the 2015 All Australian would want to be the man with the responsibility on his shoulders if the opportunity presented again.

"The game is about creating opportunity. He created it, he had his shot," Scott said.

"My main challenge with 'Goldy' is just to make sure next game, given the same circumstances, he wants the ball, because that's what it's about.

"The guys who have significant disappointments like that, when the game is there to be won and they don’t take the chance, it's the response that's important.

"I want 22 players who in that situation all want the ball."

Sunday's loss was the Kangaroos' fifth by five points or less this season. The club has a 3-17 record since the start of 2010 in games decided by five points or less. 

Scott said he was disappointed for the players and fans, but he was confident the character and quality of his players was setting the club up for the future. 

"Do you think that we had a problem late in the game? We were coming at them," the coach said when asked about the frequency of close losses this season. 

"I've coached groups before where you get four goals down early in the game and it can pretty quickly turn into five, six, seven. We were able to arrest that and keep coming.

"The parts we need to improve on are coachable, but the things that are a little intangible – like the character of the group and the quality of the players you bring in – they're there.

"While they're really harsh lessons and fans and everyone will be shattered and disappointed, we continue to look at the platform we want to build, not only for next week, but for the future. That's absolutely our priority."

North Melbourne won the second half 6.7 to 4.4 but paid a heavy price for its slow start, conceding the opening four goals to Fremantle.

Scott praised Corey Wagner and Sam Gibson for their respective shutdown roles on Hayden Ballantyne (four possessions) and Nat Fyfe (10 second-half touches), but said his team was left scrambling to get the game back on its terms.

The coach was happy with debutant Daniel Nielson, who showed poise in defence and competed hard, proving "he's got a future" with the club.

"I don't think he looked overawed at all," Scott said.

"He came off his opponent and intercept marked the ball at times.

"He got beaten in some one-on-one contests, but that's Dan's bread and butter, he's generally pretty good at that."

After blooding seven debutants to this point in 2017, Scott said the club's selection policy in the final six rounds is "still about picking players on form".