NORTH Melbourne’s gripping seven-point win over Port Adelaide is proof the Kangaroos' second tier of players are ready to take the club to the next step, coach Brad Scott says.
The Kangaroos rolled over the top of the hard-running Power at Etihad Stadium, and they did it without injured captain Andrew Swallow (Achilles) and vice-captain Jack Ziebell, who was a late withdrawal with a shoulder problem.
With stand-in captain Drew Petrie held to just four touches, it was many of the Roos' younger brigade that helped drag North over the line to a 2-1 start to the season.
Evergreen veteran Brent Harvey (three goals, 23 disposals) and former Saint Nick Dal Santo (one goal, 30 disposals) were important late, but the run and drive of Levi Greenwood, Ben Cunnington, Ryan Bastinac, Brad McKenzie, Shaun Atley and defender Luke McDonald lifted the Roos to consecutive wins.
"You look at the next wave coming through - McKenzie the last two weeks has looked like a genuine AFL player – I think he's played 15 games or so," Scott said post-game.
"That gives you confidence when you do have your captain and vice-captain out that you've got players to step into the breach.
"I think we're starting to build a list with enough depth that when players are called upon they will come in and do the job."
Greenwood led the disposal count with 34 touches, including nine in the desperate final term, while 22-year-old Cunnington had 19 contested touches in his 30 possessions.
Bastinac, also 22 years old, gathered 26 touches and McKenzie, 20, had a career-high 25 possessions.
Atley laid five crunching tackles to go with his 24 touches, while father-son recruit McDonald picked up 23 disposals and again showed maturity beyond his three AFL games - often on the last line of defence.
The Roos ran themselves into the ground to stay in the hunt against Port, but Scott never doubted his side had one final effort at the last change.
"It was really interesting, at three-quarter time the last two weeks I've called for an enormous effort from our boys. The response at three-quarter time this week was enormous, they were up for the challenge," he said.
"We talked a lot about being up for the moment – you know 'Boomer's' (Harvey) up for the moment, the good players love playing in those situations.
"When it's tight, the game needs to be won, that's what they play for.
"Unfortunately (Jamie) Macmillan was injured, but the other 21, they were up for it, they wanted that contest in the last quarter and I thought we played accordingly."
Macmillan's ankle injury was the only sour note for North, with the versatile midfielder subbed out of the game in the third term.
"I think he's in hospital getting scans, so that's never good. We'll have to wait for the result of those scans. Ziebell is a really good chance for Sydney (next weekend)," Scott said.
"I've got to play the role of coach and little bit of protector with Jack … you know the way he's going to play, so if he's any chance of hurting himself again I've got to protect him from himself.
"So if he's not 100 per cent he won't play, but that being said the advice of the medicos to me is that he's a really good chance."
