VIDEOS: Edwards smother and goal | Macmillan and Atley interviews | Match highlights | Join in the Chorus | Scott and Swallow press conference | Thomas sells the dummy | Harper and Thomas combine | Shaun Atley saves a goal

Can't view the videos? Visit the NMFC YouTube Channel

WITH Gary Ablett and Michael Rischitelli sidelined for Gold Coast on Saturday evening, the predictions were for a thumping North Melbourne win at Etihad Stadium.

The Suns took just four players with more than 50 games experience - Campbell Brown, Nathan Bock, Matthew Warnock and Jared Brennan - into the match.

But after a frustrating evening that included a 7.5 second quarter, the best stanza yet in the 27-match history of the Suns, and a final margin of just 34 points, the first question put to North coach Brad Scott was whether there was a trace of disappointment with the final score.

PRESS PLAY above to watch press conference

"I'm really reticent to say I'm disappointed because that would be taking away credit from the opposition," Scott said afterwards. "I thought they were fantastic and gave everyone a glimpse of what they could be."

"They were challenged by their coach with a couple of senior players out. Their young players stood out and took advantage of the opportunity."

Which is not to say that Scott was entirely pleased with what he saw. North trailed by a point at half-time, leading to a bake from the coach that pretty much everyone at North felt was warranted. "We deserved it," midfielder Jack Ziebell admitted afterwards.

North held the edge at half-time in several of the key stats that mattered, handballs, contested possessions, stoppages and tackles among them, yet a bit like last week against the Sydney Swans, it wasn't reflected on the scoreboard.

"We overused the ball and Gold Coast capitalised on our mistake. It cost us last week as well," Scott noted.

"We just had to go back to basics and every time Gold Coast went forward, they scored. We just had to address our defensive mechanisms and to the boys' credit, they responded."

Pretty much from the first minute of the third term, when Drew Petrie marked strongly and goaled, the Kangaroos were on their way. They were in clear control for the rest of the match, save for the last five minutes when three late Gold Coast goals made the margin a reasonably respectable 34 points.

Scott would have had a fair bit to contemplate as he made his way home on Saturday night. Hamish McIntosh rucked well, but ahead of a trip to Perth next Sunday evening to face the rampant West Coast, will Todd Goldstein need to be recalled to help McIntosh face the two-headed monster that is Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui?

Daniel Wells had just 13 touches and was well held by Maverick Weller. Scott seemed unperturbed saying that Wells has enjoyed a fine start to the year after a pre-season interrupted by a blood clot. But he'll need a big outing from his star midfielder in his home state next week, which he said would be a "huge task".

"It is something we'll really set ourselves for," Scott said.

With two feeder teams (Werribee and North Ballarat) playing on Sunday and the Eagles in town to play Richmond at Etihad Stadium, Scott was in no mood to linger in the North rooms any longer than he had to.

The weekend was only half complete and the weekend's work was only half done.

VIDEOS: Edwards smother and goal | Macmillan and Atley interviews | Match highlights | Join in the Chorus | Scott and Swallow press conference | Thomas sells the dummy | Harper and Thomas combine | Shaun Atley saves a goal

Can't view the videos? Visit the NMFC YouTube Channel

You can follow AFL Media senior writer Ashley Browne on Twitter @afl_hashbrowne