David King clips Kangaroos priority pick call before snapping 16-game streak

There were great scenes after the Kangaroos ended a 16-game losing streak against Hawthorn but it didn't stop a club great from taking aim.

David King has slammed North Melbourne calls for a priority pick.

North Melbourne legend David King has slammed calls from his former club to get a priority pick, saying it “flies in the face of everything that is the Kangaroos”.

It was halftime in the Kangaroos 13.9 (87) to 12.8 (80) win over Hawthorn at the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston with North Melbourne trailing by 22 that King made his comments.

Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

The turnaround saw the Kangaroos claim its first win of the season after eight rounds, moving within a win of the Hawks, Magpies and Bombers, although Essendon still have a match to play in round 9.

It also ended a 16-game losing streak dating back to August last year.

The Roos delisted 11 players last season and traded Shaun Higgins and Ben Brown as North went into full rebuild mode.

Having been perennially around the cusp of the finals, the Roos finished 17th last season before the major cull at the end of last year.

But through the week, Kangaroos coach David Noble called for his club to lobby the AFL for a priority pick, just eight matches into the rebuild.

“I’d love one, absolutely I’d love one. Why wouldn’t we?” Noble said on Thursday.

“If we were in a situation where that mechanism could be activated, then I’m all for it. Absolutely.

“At the previous place I was (Brisbane), we applied for it. If it helps us and we feel we’re entitled to that mechanism being activated, then absolutely. Absolutely.”

David Noble has his first win as an AFL coach.

But King, a two-time premiership winner with North and two-time All-Australian, slammed the comments, of the opposite of what the club stands for.

“To me as a North Melbourne person, it flies in the face of everything that is the Kangaroos,” he said. “Everything they stand for – the Shinboner spirit, against the odds, beg for nothing, ask for nothing, embrace the challenge that you are one of the have nots, they always have been.

“But when you’ve had success, it means a bit more. This begging or asking for a handout from the AFL, which I find is ahead of time anyway, the club are here because of choices they’ve made, decisions they’ve made to rebuild and reset, we’re eight, 10 weeks in. This is going to be a two, three year process.

“I don’t know where David Noble made those comments of his own accord or whether that’s a club decision to go that way, but it’s not the Kangaroos that I know. We embrace who we are and to me, it’s not about handouts.

“I don’t care if it costs them another year down the bottom or three wins this year or three wins next year, whatever it is. This is who the football club is, we’re going on this journey. There’s not one Kangaroos fan that’s upset about it so stay the course. Stop looking for ways to short circuit the system, this is what it is in terms of a reset, accept your lot and get on with it.”

David King said North is not the club that asks for handouts.

Bulldogs Hall of Famer Brad Johnson said the club needed to let the Draft play out over the next two or three seasons before looking for a priority pick.

But King said the messages may not be aligned from the board down.

“I just don’t see why we’re talking about it, I just don’t see why this is a discussion,” he said. “This is a complete rebuild. They purged a dozen players last year, traded a couple, they knew what was coming. So to be talking about this at 0-8, I find crazy.

“I think it’s really disappointing from a fans point of view to be told ‘be patient, be patient, be patient. We know where we’re going, we know what we’re doing’.

“The simple answer is you’ve made these decisions, you’re here for a reason, you’ve gone backwards to go forwards, work harder, work smarter, overcome all obstacles. And the Kangaroo fans who love the place will come with you. Outside of that, who cares.

“I wonder if the club are in unison with this. Is Ben Amarfio saying the same thing as David Noble? I don’t think he is, so what does that mean?”

‘How does it start?’: 287-day wait over

You think this win means a bit?

Players and coaching staff all joined in as the Roos celebrated with the team song after the win over the Hawks.

One player joked “How does it start?” as the side come together after ending 287-days without a win.

“These are great scenes,” King said.

“This gives this football club a little reset – OK, it’s 1-8, it’s not a premiership, it’s far from it, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

“I just think for David Noble it’s a huge moment. We’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for his first victory.”

Well done @NMFCOfficial ... that’s Shinboner Spirit. What a great birthday present for David Noble! Reward for effort.

— Glenn McFarlane (@MaccaHeraldSun) May 15, 2021

Well done North, great win in god’s country 👏👏

— Brad Green (@bradgreen18) May 15, 2021

This could be the start of something big.

Originally published as David King clips Kangaroos priority pick call before snapping 16-game streak