ROBBIE Tarrant was the first player who sprang to mind for Brad Scott ahead of his last game as North Melbourne coach against the Western Bulldogs a fortnight ago.

The 30-year-old key defender and Roos vice-captain keeps a low profile off the field – and rarely speaks to the media – but adopts a bigger presence once inside the boundary line.

With that in mind, there was significant emotion attached to Scott's exit, particularly for Tarrant, who played his first 136 AFL games under Scott before Rhyce Shaw's elevation to caretaker.

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Shaw was previously Tarrant's defensive line coach at the club, so they've developed a bond as well.

"I felt sorry for (Bulldogs forward) Aaron Naughton," Scott quipped in an exclusive AFL.com.au interview the day after his farewell press conference.

The reason?

"Because he was playing on Robbie Tarrant. I thought, 'I'm going to have to make sure here that 'Taz' doesn't go out and get reported'."

Tarrant broke through for his AFL debut in Scott's first season in charge, after injuries kept the 2007 first-round draft pick largely on the sidelines in his initial two years at Arden St.

In fact, it wasn't until 2015 that he truly banished his injury curse, but his former coach never lost faith in him.

Tarrant paid Scott back, winning the 2016 Syd Barker Medal and becoming one of the club's most influential players, including dominating Naughton in his former coach's final match.

"Playing under him for close to 10 years, you build that relationship," Tarrant told AFL.com.au this week.

"I was obviously, along with all the other senior players, really close with Brad and he's done a lot for me over my career.

"I guess in the lead-up to the Bulldogs game we had a bit going on in the (last) couple of hours, so we just tried to focus on the game and I thought our boys did that really well."

For all North's earlier struggles, the club has won three of its past five matches, while challenging top side Geelong and running out of time in a fast finish against Sydney in the other two.

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Tarrant's form, even if he'd be the last to admit it, is a chief reason for that success.

Goals conceded is an inexact science, but the 196cm Roo has had only 14 goals kicked on him in 11 rounds.

Delving further, Tarrant is giving up just 1.6 shots at goal per 100 minutes to his main opponents (40-plus minutes), which is the third-fewest of the 39 defenders with at least five such match-ups.

Only Saint Josh Battle (1.0) and Crow Alex Keath (1.4) are ahead of Tarrant, with Sydney's Aliir Aliir and Port Adelaide's Tom Clurey next-best at 2.3.

He is yet to join his brother and former Magpie Chris as an All Australian, but has again thrust himself into the discussion.

"Much like the team, I've got to keep improving and I'm really lucky I've got Scotty Thompson and Jasper Pittard and the (rest of the) back six there to support me," Tarrant said.

"I haven't really thought too much about my form. It's just about how we can consistently play our way for longer."