AFL 2020: North coach Rhyce Shaw casts aside talk of rebuild with six weeks left to get something out of 2020

The walls are closing in on North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw as his injury list expanded to 17 players, but he says his players have six weeks left to get back on track.

North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw says his players have six weeks to get back on track. Picture: Matt Turner/AFL Photos

The walls are closing in on North Melbourne and coach Rhyce Shaw as his injury list expanded to 17 players this week on the back of a horror 57-point loss to Melbourne.

Confirmation star midfielder Ben Cunnington won’t return this season has only compounded spiralling issues with calls for the Kangaroos to enter a rebuild.

Now premiership contenders Brisbane loom as the Kangaroos’ next challenge, the Lions playing in the comforts of home and looking to continue their momentum from a last-start thrashing of the Western Bulldogs.

Shaw conceded he had faced challenges this season he couldn’t possibly have imagined when he took the reins for his first year, challenges he also thinks his team might never face again.

But despite all the obstacles in front of him and his players, Shaw said he had to push “minimal” buttons to keep everyone motivated and was eyeing off the final six weeks of the season to “get back on track”.

“It has been a bit of a challenge. I don’t think we’ll ever experience anything like this ever again, especially in your first year as coach, it’s something that is pretty foreign,” Shaw said on Friday.

“But I love footy, I love our footy club, and I’ve been trying to lead as best as I possibly can. We can only learn from these experiences and move forward. I’ve learned a lot of lessons this year and will continue to do so.

“I look forward to what we can produce over the next six weeks. I’m fully aware that we need to start playing some good footy.

“But the investment from the players and their motivation is still strong. They want to get better, to play good footy, to play good footy as a team.

“The buttons I have to press are minimal. We understand what we need to do, and it’s about doing it.”

Forward Ben Brown hasn’t recovered from his knee issue and will miss the Brisbane game but should be back in Round 13.

North Melbourne can confirm it will take a long-term approach with Ben Cunnington’s back injury, and has elected to rest him for the remainder of the season.

Look forward to seeing you back in 2021, Cunners 💪.

— North Melbourne (@NMFCOfficial) August 13, 2020

The spotlight remains on big-money midfielder Jared Polec, dropped two weeks ago after failing to meet the “high expectations and standards” Shaw has set.

Leadership from Polec against the Lions is crucial, with captain Jack Ziebell still at least two weeks away as he recovers from a bad hamstring strain.

The Roos have a stack of leaders sidelined that Shaw said gave young players a chance to show their worth, which could determine whether North Melbourne have to hit the rebuild button.

“I’ve got six weeks in my mind for us to produce some good footy, the opportunity is there for us,” Shaw said.

“The end of season will take care of itself. Every team will be looking for avenues to get better, and we’ll be doing the same, whether that’s free agency or going through the draft … we’ll be looking at all those.

“I’m looking forward to the next six weeks, that’s what I am focused on right now. The opportunity is there for all out players to play the best footy possible so North Melbourne can get back on track.”

Originally published as AFL 2020: North coach Rhyce Shaw casts aside talk of rebuild with six weeks left to get something out of 2020