VIDEOS: Robbie Tarrant intercept | Drew Petrie strong mark | Join in the Chorus | Match highlights | Petrie "unstoppable" | Scott press conference | Post-match interviews | Channel 7 behind the scenes | Roos firing up front | Thomas flies high

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BRAD Scott admits he doubted his coaching ability after his North Melbourne team was thrashed by 115 points by Hawthorn in round 10 at Launceston's Aurora Stadium.

Speaking after the Kangaroos had comprehensively beaten third-placed Collingwood by 30 points at Etihad Stadium on Sunday night, Scott said he had never doubted his players' ability. But he said he had been surprised by the extent of North's post-round 10 turnaround that has seen it win nine of its past 10 matches to climb from 11th on the ladder to sixth.

"I think you probably would have put me in the asylum after the round 10 game if I was saying we were going to win nine out of 10 and definitely play finals," Scott said. 

"When you talk to any elite sportsman or coach, there are times when you doubt yourself. I certainly doubted myself more than I doubted the players.

"I have great belief in the character of our players but I think of course it's surprised me how well they've got through the tough period and how well they're playing now.

"I always knew they had the capability but the challenge was to keep the morale up when everyone else around you was trying to drag it down."

However, Scott refuted suggestions North's impressive performance against the Magpies, in which it came back from an early 24-point deficit, was a pointer to what it was capable of in the finals.

"We've still got a lot of work to do on our game, a lot of our players haven't played in the finals," Scott said.

"I think they're smart enough to realise there's going to be a big step in intensity. While we've played some pretty good footy against some pretty good teams, we've got to expect their very best and I don't think Nathan Buckley would be saying Collingwood were at their very best tonight.

"We've had some good wins [but] we've just got to remember what makes us a pretty good team because Hawthorn reminded us 11 weeks ago of how bad it can get if we don't focus on those things."

North has played only one game at the MCG this season, but Scott is not concerned the high-possession game that it plays so effectively at Etihad Stadium will not be as effective at the MCG or the bigger interstate grounds during the finals.

"We've been trying to coach the players to be adaptable and adapt to whatever the opposition throw at us and I think again today we were four goals down at the start of the game and the players adapted to that pressure really well," Scott said.

"We're trying to coach a sustainable style of footy that will hold up at any venue, against any opposition. We're yet to prove that because we've still got to play some pretty good sides interstate and at the MCG."

Scott again paid tribute to his three-pronged tall forward line of Drew Petrie, Robbie Tarrant and Lachie Hansen, saying it had been a compliment to Hansen when the Pies had been forced to move Chris Tarrant from their forward line to mind him.

Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick