North Melbourne defender Scott Thompson says he’s glad Barry Hall wasn’t suspended in the wake of the pair’s controversial tussle on Saturday.

Thompson, 24, has told kangaroos.com.au that what happens on the field should stay on the field.

“There are no hard feelings on my part and I hope Barry feels the same way,” Thompson said.

“I thought the outcome was right and it would have been a shame to see him get rubbed out for that incident. It was a pretty decent choke-hold but he knew when it had gone long enough and he let go which I was pretty happy about.”

The runner-up in last year’s best and fairest says he will have no hesitation in going toe to toe with Hall again in round 18.

“I can’t wait for the chance to play on him again and I can promise he will see a different Scott Thompson but I’ll be just as aggressive.”

Thompson says his niggling tactics had specific purpose, but acknowledges he needs to adapt and change the way he plays.

“I used to ‘niggle’ because I had a tendency to drift off my opponents. Keeping constant contact with them by using my forearm helped me stay focussed solely on them and kept my mind on the job at hand.

"I mentioned in a newspaper article that the 'niggling' was something Dean Laidley had encouraged me to do in the past, but in no way did Dean influence my behaviour on the weekend. I take full responsibility for my actions.

“I understand how some people think I have taken things too far and it’s disappointing because I want to be known as a hard but fair player. In my days at junior football and in the VFL I’d like to think I had a reputation for playing the ball and not the man, but now it’s up to me to rediscover my past and play that way again I suppose.”

While coach Brad Scott has strongly supported the 37-gamer, he has also vowed to help him evolve.

“I’ve spoken to Brad and Glenn Archer and they have helped me realise that it’s not the way I need to play. It’s important to play aggressively but it’s also important to channel that aggression in the right areas and I will be doing that on Sunday against Fremantle. In saying that, if a player gives it to me, I will give it back to them.

“Arch and Brad were champion defenders and I will listen to them, learn from them and am confident I’ll be a better player for it.”