AFL 2021: North Melbourne coach David Noble opens up about the challenge ahead
North Melbourne knew it had the right man for its vacant coaching job when David Noble gave his answer to a crucial interview question.
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New North Melbourne David Noble has implemented a hard-and-fast rule at Arden Street he hopes might ultimately fast-track the Kangaroos’ long-term revival.
A day off is a day off.
Having built a reputation as one of the AFL’s hardest working individuals, the 53-year-old is no stranger to rolling his sleeves up and working long hours.
But he believes a strict adherence to this rule – for players, the coaching staff and indeed himself – might provide the best work-life balance to ensure they get the best out of each other.
It might even help fast-track the Kangaroos as the club looks for a fresh start after experiencing an extraordinarily tough 2020 season.
“I’m big on that ...a day off is a day off,” Noble told the Herald Sun.
“That balance and wellbeing in your life is very important.
“You need some down time. We are very strong on that.”
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Finding the right work-life balance has been a vexed question for AFL coaches and players in recent seasons, but was even more heightened by last year’s hub experiences.
The all-encompassing nature of the game inside the hub impacted on Noble’s predecessor, Rhyce Shaw, and it played a part in his decision to leave the role late last year.
A number of senior and assistant coaches have experienced burnout, prompting warnings from outgoing AFL Coaches Association chief executive Mark Brayshaw, who fears the recent departure of around 60 AFL assistant coaches, due to football departure cuts, could put even more strain on those left in the roles.
Noble’s previous administrative roles – most recently as Brisbane Lions general manager of football – have provided him with a unique management perspective and he intends to put that to good use now.
“We understand the balance that is required, especially with us being an older group of coaches,” he said.
Noble agreed to take on the job late last year knowing that his family life would be impacted.
His wife, Sarah, initially won’t be joining him in Melbourne. She will remain on the family’s six-acre property at Tamborine, about 50km from Brisbane, where his father, John, also lives.
It won’t be easy, as he is so closely connected to his family.
He is about to become a grandfather for the first time in April, with his daughter Jessica and her partner Dean, expecting their first child in April.
His sons, Collingwood defender John Noble, and Mark, who had been set to play for Werribee in the VFL before the pandemic hit last year, are living in Melbourne.
“Sarah has been enormously supportive of me; she has been a rock to our family,” Noble said of his wife.
“When this opportunity popped up, she was very bullish that I should do it. She will stay up there on the property initially because my dad is on the property.
“Dad was a bit of legend (as a footballer) in Tassie. He played in the old carnivals in the ‘60s and won a Lefroy Medal as the best player in the carnival.
“We lost (his) mum (Pat) two years ago in December.”
Three months into the role he undertook after some prompting from Paul Roos – who will join him in the coaches’ box in 2021 – Noble couldn’t be more pleased with what has transpired and the plans he and the club have put in place.
It’s a position he has been preparing most of his life for.
“If you had looked at my overall journey a big chunk of it early was coaching. But even in the way I managed (in other roles), I was still probably coaching staff to try and improve them,” he explained.
He feels grateful to have a broad experience in the staff alongside him as he prepares to coach his first game of AFL.
He will keep a close eye on the assistant coaches’ individual workloads, but also is happy for them to monitor his as well.
The additions include his one-time Fitzroy teammate John Blakey, Heath Younie, Jordan Russell and Anthony Rocca as well head of development Gavin Brown, Leigh Adams and Brent Harvey, who remain from last season.
“They’ve been fantastic,” he said.
Noble’s decision to accept the Kangaroos’ coaching role came after a family meeting to discuss the pros and cons. It prompted a unanimous response.
They all wanted him to chase his AFL dreams.
“We made the decision as a family,” he said.
“We checked with the kids and spoke to them and got an understanding of what it was all going to look like. Sarah and I spent a bit of time debating how it would work and then we spoke to my dad before making the decision.”
Noble returned home recently when the Kangaroos had a four-day break, but is constant communication with them.
He said ongoing threats of border closures due to the pandemic were a concern, but he and his family will meet those challenges when they arise.
“Yeah, you worry about the cycle all the time,” he said.
“There will be a week where all of a sudden there will be more cases and the borders are closed. But we will do what we have to do.”
Noble’s other interests outside of football and his family, and the things that will keep him fresh away from coaching, include playing tennis and bike riding.
His other indulgence is a passion for vintage cars, although his 1965 Mustang sadly remains in Queensland.
He said one of the key reasons why he couldn’t say no to the Kangaroos’ coaching role was the alignment he felt between the club’s values and his own values.
“I have always felt that clubs and coaches need to fit and I just felt for the right reasons this club fitted me,” he said.
“I thought of (North Melbourne) as genuine, honest, loyal, trustworthy ... it felt like there was a good synergy.
“(The coaching panel) asked: ‘What is it about us (that excites you)?’. I said: ‘I love the authenticity, I love the history, I love the understatedness, I can’t wait to roll our sleeves up and get the job done’.”
Chris Fagan’s success at Brisbane in his first stint in an AFL senior coaching position after a lifetime of experiences may have assisted his own cause, but Noble said the coaching flame was never close to being extinguished in his own mind.
“I think with what Chris has done, does it open the door a bit more? Yeah probably,” he said.
“(But) I think as an ambitious and driven person, I would still (have been interested) if that opportunity had come up.”
Somehow the union just seemed right.
Already the connections he has made with those within the club, and from supporters and past greats of the Kangaroos, have only strengthened his belief that his decision was the right one.
He has so far preached patience about whether the Kangaroos — who have a vastly different list now and an investment in youth to rebuild the club’s fortunes — and won’t cut corners or sacrifice the process in order to get the right outcome.
“For our fans, I think they need to be aware we are chasing success, but what that looks like this year, we are not sure,” he said.
“I am a hard one on process. Let’s get the process right first.
“We want our fans to see that we are reliable, and that we are good for what we say we will do. We want the fans to be a part of the journey going forward.”
One particular message of support struck an emotional chord with him.
It came from the widow of Kangaroos premiership player Darryl Sutton, who passed away aged only 64 in 2017.
“It was very special from Kath and that meant a lot to me,” he said.
“I played under Darryl (at North Hobart in 1985); he actually gave me my debut. He was full forward and I was forward pocket and I was pretty much standing in the forward pocket. That was my role.
“I trained through the pre-season and I was still at school doing my matric(ulation). He spoke to my dad and said ‘yeah he is ready’.
“So the journey continues, and I walk in here (at Arden St) and I see his picture in the foyer (as part of the 1977 premiership side).
“It means a lot and it shows just what this football club means to a lot of people.”
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