Missing captain Andrew Swallow (Achilles) and late withdrawals Jack Ziebell (ankle) and Scott Thompson (soreness), the Kangaroos entered their clash with Essendon at Etihad Stadium looking for others to stand up, and Scott found some who are willing.
Levi Greenwood, a late replacement for Ziebell, had 38 disposals and five tackles, Sam Wright played an excellent game with 25 touches, and Ryan Bastinac (21 disposals) and Ben Cunnington (24) continued their consistent seasons.
Scott's fears were allayed with a 45-point win over the struggling Bombers, North winning every quarter on the way to its ninth win of the season.
"I was concerned. To have half the leadership group all suited up as the boys are running out to play is always a little disconcerting for a coach," Scott said.
"It was a great test of our depth because we've always known we've got that depth, but it's just a matter of how good that depth was. I thought we got the game on our terms for most of it.
"Under a bit of pressure there at the end with a few little niggling injuries, I thought our game is getting better with momentum swinging against us. I thought we iced that pretty well today."
Scott was especially complimentary of Greenwood, who played only his fifth game of the season.
"We rate his hardness on par with Jack Ziebell ... we can't really wrap someone up more than that. That part of his game has been fantastic," he said.
"We're a fair way off still, in my opinion, of where we need to be in terms of midfield depth and midfield quality even though when you look at Swallow, Ziebell and Wells, they're certainly pushing up there.
"Levi's been kept out of the team through function of numbers. It’s just been a matter of taking his opportunity when it came up ... he took that today."
Things weren't so smooth on the interchange bench for the Roos, with one infringement costing the side a goal in the second quarter.
And at three-quarter time, there was confusion when the red substitute vest was given to Nathan Grima before being palmed off to Leigh Adams before the paperwork had been handed in.
"It was a really unusual one," Scott said.
"At three-quarter time we spent a lot of time working out who our sub was going to be and this is how innocuous some injuries can be ... Leigh Adams turned to run back his position after we'd made the sub and felt a click in his knee and didn't think he could go on.
"Luckily we were able to swap the sub."
Adams had a "very minor" lateral ligament injury.
Ziebell and Thompson are expected to return next week to face Hawthorn.
Twitter: AFL_CalTwomey
