After another vintage performance from veteran Brent Harvey, North Melbourne AFL coach Brad Scott wanted to make one thing clear at his post-match media conference.

Harvey, a five-time club champion, wore heavy criticism following North’s first-round loss to Essendon.

However the 35-year-old small forward kicked three vital goals on Sunday as the Kangaroos claimed victory 12.11 (83) to 8.6 (54) in their round-two clash with the Western Bulldogs.

Harvey had 25 possessions in his 364th match and his ball use stood out in a game that was, to say the least, a scrappy affair.

“He certainly ignores it,” Scott said of the media commentary that Harvey was not a big-game player.

“I can ignore it or I can stand up for him.

“While I’m coaching this footy club, if anyone wants to come after Brent Harvey, they come through me.

“There are certain people who take pleasure in lining people up and potting them. Brent Harvey is not one who should ever be in that gun.”

The win was North’s first of the season while the Bulldogs are 0-2.

Harvey fought an interesting first-half duel with Robert Murphy.

“I’ve run out of superlatives for Brent Harvey in terms of the way he wills himself to get our team over the line,” Scott said.

“Robert Murphy is still a fantastic player.

“Murphy was influential for them in the first half so we needed to make some changes to arrest that.”

Leading by 10 points at three-quarter time, North Melbourne finally found some scoring momentum with a six-goal final term to the Bulldogs’ three goals.

Two of Harvey’s three goals came in the final term, while 10 of North midfielder Nick Dal Santo’s game-high 32 disposals were also gathered in the last quarter.

Scott said he didn’t think the first half was going to make any highlight reels.

“We’ve played games in the last few years where we’ve kicked over 120 points and looked fantastic and lost,” he said.

“This feeling feels a lot better.

“As a side we needed to grind it out.”

Bulldogs’ coach Brendan McCartney wants his players to move the ball quicker into attack, without worrying about making mistakes.

“We know we’ve got some good young talent coming through that aren’t quite getting through a full four quarters of footy yet, but it’s close,” McCartney said.

“They hung in there for longer than us and just stuck at it.

“I am a bit cranky but I will get over it.”

The Bulldogs host Richmond at Etihad Stadium on Saturday in round three and North face Port Adelaide at the same venue the following day.

McCartney says new captain Ryan Griffen, the 2013 All-Australian midfielder who missed round one with a back injury, will improve quickly on his 12-possession haul on Sunday.

“That’s his first game, No NAB Cup, no practice game, no nothing,” McCartney said.