North Melbourne coach Brad Scott was unable to consist of his emotions following the Kangaroos finally clinched a close AFL game against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.

In a spirited, see-sawing thriller, a 5-objective final quarter from inspirational spearhead Drew Petrie drove the Kangaroos to a 15.13 (103) to 14.15 (99) victory.

North’s fifth win in six games lifted them into the best eight, leaving the Tigers two games adrift and all but out of the finals race.

For Scott, whose side had lost 3 previous matches this season by two points, the Kangaroos’ ability to hold on was enormously encouraging.

“There was some genuine elation in that right now,” Scott informed reporters.

“We’d lost some near games, so if you ever get a shot of the (coaches) box, we lost the plot there when the siren went.”

Scott stated whilst he had not felt his side had an underlying problem in their narrow losses, Sunday’s win was a huge step.

“You make mistakes during the complete game but we have been starting up to stack them up at the finish of video games,” he stated.

“So the potential to withstand the pressure, we’re actually proud of our leadership.”

Earlier, the Kangaroos had led by as many as 22 factors in the second term, assisted by Richmond giving away consecutive goals from 50m penalties.

But a five-goals-to-two third quarter from the Tigers, in which Jack Riewoldt and Dustin Martin, returning from a club-imposed suspension, kicked two objectives each and every, place them seven factors in front at the final modify.

Then Petrie, kept to two ambitions in the first 3 terms by Alex Rance, took centre stage.

He marked almost everything that came his way to kick 5 goals in the very first 22 minutes of the last expression.

Substitute Matt Campbell then snapped truly to place the Kangaroos 17 points clear at the 25-minute mark and seemingly residence.

But the Tigers stored coming, speedsters Robin Nahas and Shane Edwards notching swift goals, before Shaun Grigg missed with a snap that could have given Richmond the lead with 57 seconds left, the Kangaroos holding firm in the frenzied last seconds.

It was Richmond’s fifth loss by two objectives or less this season, a pattern coach Damien Hardwick stated showed they were enhancing, but not quick sufficient for their liking.

But he refused to give up on finals.

“After the door shut, it shuts,” he explained.

“But as far as we’re concerned it truly is well and genuinely still open.”