NORTH Melbourne will approach next Saturday's clash with Collingwood full of confidence after breaking a near six-year losing drought against the Sydney Swans in what coach Brad Scott described as a compete performance.
After dropping their opening match of the year, the Roos now sit in the top eight with three wins at the end of round four, having handled the wet SCG conditions far better in a thumping 43-point victory against the Swans.
Scott said the hard-fought win against such a match-hardened opponent - coming after last week's effort against Port Adelaide and the round two victory against the Bulldogs - built a sense of belief.
"It was only three weeks ago that we were really struggling but we had a real scrap against the Bulldogs and came through that, and a real scrap again today and came through that," Scott said after the match.
"From a coaching perspective, they are great wins, when you can scrap it out and get the job done.
"I sense a fair amount of belief in our players at the moment."
The Roos' defence, led by Scott Thompson's outstanding effort on Lance Franklin and strong supporting roles by the likes of Michael Firrito, Nathan Grima, Lachlan Hansen, Shaun Atley and Aaron Mullett, restricted the Swans to just 6.12 (48) - their fourth-lowest score at the SCG.
Thompson was superb in keeping star Swans recruit Franklin goalless.
North's midfield also kept a potent Swans running brigade in check and adapted better in the rain despite having played the past three weeks under the roof at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium.
"I thought it was a pretty complete performance against an opposition that we clearly have enormous respect for," Scott said.
The coach added he was pleased to have outlasted hard-running teams over the past fortnight.
"Port Adelaide and Sydney I think have as deep a midfield as any team in the competition and so the challenge there was for us was to outlast them and we have done that," Scott said.
"That gives the players confidence in their preparation."
