Don’t get mad, get even says North’s coach

Embarrassed North Melbourne coach Brad Scott won’t get angry but is demanding his players get even after being the biggest losers of the AFL’s opening round.

North were pummelled in a 77-point defeat to a Taylor Walker-inspired Adelaide on Sunday, a result Scott said was an indictment on his players.

The loss came as Greater Western Sydney banked a precious nine-point away win against St Kilda to join Richmond, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood and the Crows as opening-round winners.

While no other margin in the initial seven games exceeded 27 points, Scott’s Kangaroos fell flat against Adelaide as a number of clubs grapple with an early casualty count.

New Crows captain Walker booted 6.5 and took 15 marks to give his new coach Phil Walsh a first-up win, 21.14 (140) to 9.9 (63) at Adelaide Oval.

North’s Scott rated the loss among his side’s worst performances in his six-year reign.

“There’s no point in getting angry,” Scott said.

“I’m boiling inside but we have got to do something about it. Everyone these days talks in cliches – it’s about actions, not words.

“So you can rip paint off walls and do those sorts of things, the players will get what is coming to them.

“But it’s about what we do about it that is going to make the difference.”

New Crows boss Walsh ordered his club take a “cold shower” after the thumping of last year’s preliminary finalists.

“Beware the early Crow,” Walsh said.

“Round one, to perform like that … is very satisfying, but we know there is a long season ahead of us.”

Missing that entire season will be Gold Coast youngster Jaeger O’Meara who ruptured a patella in a Suns reserves match.

Prime movers including Brisbane’s Tom Rockliff (ribs) Carlton’s Dale Thomas (shoulder), Essendon’s David Myers, Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom (broken thumb) and West Coast’s Mitch Brown (knee) are also set to miss chunks of the seasons.

But St Kilda hope their captain Nick Riewoldt will be available next weekend after suffering whiplash in the loss to the Giants.

The Saint star was felled when Tom Bugg crashed into his back in a marking contest in the last quarter of the Giants’ 12.15 (87) to 11.12 (78) win at Etihad Stadium.

Riewoldt, playing his first game since the death of his sister, lay prone on the turf for several minutes before leaving the ground under his own steam.

The key forward was sent to hospital for scans with St Kilda coach Alan Richardson saying Riewoldt had suffered whiplash.

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