North Melbourne premiership heroes blast ‘embarrassing vendetta’
North Melbourne premiership hero David King hit back at journalist Caroline Wilson as rumours continue to swirl around the Kangaroos.
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North Melbourne greats David King and Corey McKernan have slammed Caroline Wilson for an “embarrassing vendetta” against the Kangaroos.
The 1996 and 1999 Kangaroos premiership teammates blasted the journalist after Wilson said club legend and Fox Footy commentator King was one of the greats angling to get West Coast coach Adam Simpson to the club.
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Simpson played all 306 games of his AFL playing career at North Melbourne and also played in the 1996 and 1999 premiership teams and captained the club between 2004 and 2008.
It comes amid reports of player unrest under Kangaroos coach David Noble
The drama comes after a week of pressure for the Kangaroos who sit 17th with just one win from 10 games in 2022, sitting only just ahead of the West Coast on percentages.
It’s heaped pressure on the club amid reports of a rift between players and the coach because of Noble’s reported bad temper, which Wilson labelled “disturbing”.
The situation wasn’t helped when three members of the club’s recruitment staff resigned on Tuesday.
It was revealed on Wednesday night one of the departing trio, list boss Glenn Luff, resigned after hearing comments made about him on TV by former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes, which were the “last straw”.
Wilson said on Wednesday night’s Footy Classified that David Noble “had a lot of work to do to win back the players”. She added the Kangaroos could try to nab Simpson as their coach.
“You have got the spectre of Adam Simpson, who is really struggling at West Coast at the moment, has coached them to a flag, but who could be coming to the end of his tenure there — not contractually, but things are not going well,” she said.
“(He is a) North Melbourne man, we know David King has been desperate to get him back there in the past, and Glenn Archer.
“You can’t imagine Adam Simpson going from the richest club in the AFL to the poorest.”
Wilson said that she felt there was some doubt about Simpson’s future at the West Coast and added: “I know North Melbourne would be going hell for leather to get him back to their footy club.”
But King hit back on social media, saying he was not a powerbroker for the Kangaroos.
“For the 100th time Caro, do not speak for me,” King said. “I have no role at NM, never have yet you keep up this fanciful charade that I influence decisions. Enough of the complete drivel. I have not once in my life talked to Adam Simpson about coming to the Kangaroos. Get a new line.”
McKernan quote tweeted King’s post, adding: “Don’t think I’ve ever seen in my time in football a embarrassing vendetta against a person or a team. What’s hilarious is that when someone has an opinion against the bully card is played”.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen in my time in football a embarrassing vendetta against a person or a team. What’s hilarious is that when someone has an opinion against the bully card is played 😂😂😂 https://t.co/oNxO5n6Y6Y
— Corey McKernan (@CoreyMcKernan) May 25, 2022
Wilson wasn’t the only person to take aim the club with Kangaroos legend Wayne Carey calling the club “broken”.
“You can’t improve until you actually admit we’re broken,” Carey said on Triple M. “I’m talking about off-ground. We know they are broken on-ground. There’s clearly stuff going on off-ground,” he said. “You don’t have people just resigning for no reason.”
On AFL 360 on Wednesday, King added he was disappointed as he believed the club was improving.
“I thought these times were behind them. That the turmoil of 18 months ago had passed,” King said.
“The North Melbourne Football Club don’t have the advantages of other clubs. It’s a different place.
“It’s a country footy club playing AFL.”
The pressure built enough that Noble and CEO Ben Amarfio responded, denying the claims.
“Our members and our fans understand I took this job on understanding there will be difficult times. I’m here for the long haul. I want our club to be successful and strong,” Noble said.
“There have been substantially untrue stories that are being reported, mainly around relationships with players, relationships with coaches, being directed by the club to apologise. They are all untrue.
“No one in this grouping picked us to win any games by this round … I want to win more games, nothing clearer, and we plan to win games every week. But it’s where we are.”
Amarfio also called for former players to be “part of the solution”.
The latest comments come after Monday’s episode of Footy Classified, where Wilson spoke about a Herald Sun report which detailed a round three spray from Noble, which had reportedly left players off-side.
“The stories coming out of the club about the relationship between the coach and the players are disturbing,” Wilson said on Monday.
She added: “These are the stories I was starting to hear at the end of 2020 with (former Carlton coach) David Teague. It’s just a bit of a worry to me. I’m not saying David Noble’s gone — he’s only a season-and-a-half in. But he’s got a lot of work to do to win back some players.”
Originally published as North Melbourne premiership heroes blast ‘embarrassing vendetta’
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