VIDEOS: Brad Scott press conference | Match highlights | Join in the Chorus | Matt Campbell super sub | Drew Petrie pressure act | Kieran Harper running magic | Post-match interviews | Lindsay Thomas smother | Petrie's seven | Coast to coast

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NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott has spoken of his "genuine elation" at his team's desperate four-point win over Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.

Scott said emotion got the better of him when the siren sounded to give the Kangaroos victory, in an action-packed game that featured 14 lead changes.

"Coaches generally feel relieved when they win and go back to the drawing board when they lose, but there was some genuine elation today," Scott said post-match.

"We've lost some close games … so we lost the plot there when the siren went. It's pretty embarrassing."

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Scott said the victory, which put North Melbourne into the top eight, was significant for the growing self-belief of his young playing group.

Even more so, he said, given some of the lade fadeouts and close losses that have plagued the team's season.

The Kangaroos have lost three games by two points this year (to Essendon, Port Adelaide and West Coast).

"I haven't bought into the fact that we haven't finished games well and that there's an underlying issue there," Scott said.

"I've just honestly felt that there's been some contests that we've lost and some mistakes that we've made that have cost us.

"You make mistakes the whole game, but we were stacking them up at the end of games.

"The ability to withstand the pressure [today] … we're really proud of our leadership.

"We're rapt [Andrew Swallow] is our captain.

"He played like a great captain today, and he had the rest of his team following his lead.

"When we bring that, we're going to be competitive in most games, I think.

"When the siren went, I thought we'd done enough to deserve to win the game. I was rapt that the boys got their reward for effort."

Swallow, who had 29 disposals, including 17 contested possessions and 10 clearances, and laid five tackles, said he and his teammates were in no doubt they could win the game, even when Richmond took a seven-point lead and momentum into the three-quarter time huddle.

"We've taken a lot out of the previous four or five weeks," Swallow said.

"We know that when we bring that competitiveness, the desire and the attack on the footy, our natural game to run and spread takes over.

"We knew [at three-quarter time] that we just had to bring that to the table, and we knew we could run over them."

Swallow said the improvement in the group in recent times was noticeable.

"We're starting to see a lot of guys playing really consistent footy, which over the last couple of years we probably haven't been able to get that," he said.

"We're starting to get the results on the board, and it's because we're getting that really even spread.

"We probably had 15 or 16 guys who had a massive influence on the game, not just by getting possessions, but willing themselves on the contest."

He paid particular tribute to Lindsay Thomas, Lachie Hansen and Leigh Adams for desperate acts in the intense final stages.

North Melbourne has an opportunity to consolidate its place in the top eight against 16th-placed Melbourne at Etihad Stadium next Saturday.