Until late on Sunday afternoon, North Melbourne may have doubted whether it had the capacity to contain the competition's best key forwards.

But 196cm forward-turned-defender Robbie Tarrant might be the answer Brad Scott has been searching for to stand the opposition's spearhead forward.

RELATED: Scott - North's "mature performance"

Tarrant produced a coming of age performance in curbing the influence of Geelong star Tom Hawkins at Simonds Stadium on Sunday.

The 26-year-old kept Hawkins to just one goal to be one of the Roos' best players in their 16-point win.

He told AFL.com.au it was Scott who suggested that he move to defence as he tried to establish himself in North's developing side.

"We sat down in my exit review at the end of last year and Brad threw it to me about what I thought about playing there and I haven't really looked back," Tarrant said.

"He said, 'Would you want to play in defence?' And I jumped at the opportunity."

The key backman was not just defensively minded against the Cats, he also provided good rebound to collect 23 disposals and take nine marks – often coming off his man to provide support to teammates Scott Thompson and Michael Firrito.

Scott praised Tarrant for keeping Hawkins in check.

"We have had trouble with Hawkins in the past so I think Robbie Tarrant, if he can get some continuity in his footy, is going to be a valuable player for us," Scott said.

"The team needed a big strong key defender; he is a fantastic athlete he just needed to get some continuity to be able to show what he can do."

RELATED: Vote in the Mazda Spirit Awards

Tarrant's athleticism has been unquestioned during his 41-game career.

But his ability to get out on the park has been since making his debut in round 15, 2010.

Tarrant missed the latter half of last season after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a stress fracture in his tibia.

His injury was initially diagnosed as a tibial stress reaction in March, after having been previously diagnosed as a nerve-related injury in 2013, when it sidelined him for nine games.

That followed his first two seasons, after being drafted at pick No.15 in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft, being dogged by serious shoulder injuries.

"It's great to be back out with the boys. You forget what the winning feeling is like and you get a bit jealous sometimes when the boys are going really well," Tarrant said.

"It's really hard. People don't realise how hard it is. Injuries are part of the toll.

"At the same time you've got to support the boys and get around them and the best thing about the footy club is that the team is more important than the individual."

Tarrant is still honing his defensive skills and Scott said he would continue to work on his positioning with experienced teammates Thompson, Firrito, Lachie Hansen and Nathan Grima.

"It's a work in progress. Most of the blokes have played in defence their whole life and I'm trying to learn it week by week," Tarrant said.