Related content: Match report
Video: Scott and Firrito | YouTube
Video: Match highlights | YouTube
Video: Wells brilliant soccer goal | YouTube
SCANS on Monday will determine the extent of the hamstring injury suffered by North Melbourne key-position player Robbie Tarrant during the Kangaroos' two-point loss to Essendon at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
Tarrant left the field clutching the top of his right hamstring in the third quarter. He was subbed out of the game shortly after.
"We're hopeful that … it's a back-related hamstring, which sometimes can come up pretty quickly," North coach Brad Scott said.
"But he also cramped pretty heavily as well, so we'll have to wait until [he has] scans to see if it's an issue or not."
Scott was left to lament his team's poor display around the stoppages. North lost the clearance count by 12 and the contested possession count by 21.
He pinned the blame on his ruckman rather than his midfielders.
"I thought Ryder and Hille outplayed McIntosh and Goldstein," Scott said.
"To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with our rucks. I thought they could have given us better use than they did.
"And they'll be disappointed that game. They'll be looking to respond next week."
Scott was full of praise for midfielders Daniel Wells and Andrew Swallow.
Swallow picked up 26 touches and won eight clearances, while Wells had 13 possessions in he first quarter and finished with 25.
"[Wells] really set himself for this game, and I thought he was fantastic," Scott said.
"Unfortunately we've only got one of him, because we'd like to play him forward, back and midfield."
The North coach was also delighted by Michael Firrito's performance at full-back on gun Essendon forward Michael Hurley.
Hurley looked dangerous all night, but he finished with only 11 possessions and two goals.
"I think they kicked it to [Hurley] 14 times inside 50," Scott said.
"When you have 67 inside-50s against, I thought our whole defence help up pretty well.
"We asked a lot of Scott Thompson and Michael Firrito and I thought largely they did a terrific job.
"Our emphasis will be, in the review, why it got down there so often, not on our defensive performance."
Next weekend North Melbourne plays Greater Western Sydney in the first ever premiership season game at Blundstone Arena (previously known as Bellerive Oval) in Hobart.
Related content: Match report
Video: Scott and Firrito | YouTube
Video: Match highlights | YouTube
Video: Wells brilliant soccer goal | YouTube
