Jon Ralph examines nine issues North Melbourne must fix under new coach David Noble

Called “scared” by Mick McGuane, the Pies weren’t sad to see Jaidyn Stephenson go. There’s one man at North who can help the young star.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 23: Jack Ziebell of the Kangaroos poses with new Kangaroos coach David Noble during a North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL media opportunity at Arden Street Ground on November 23, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

David Noble is so much more than the “we-can’t-stuff-this-up-again” candidate for the North Melbourne football club.

If the appointment of the genial Noble comes in part because he oozes reason and common sense, it shouldn’t be seen as a decision that limits their ceiling.

Not long ago we might have asked what single characteristic he had that would outshine his rivals like the great coaches of the recent era.

The rat cunning of Mick Malthouse, the crazy genius of Kevin Sheedy, the iron will of Denis Pagan, the audacious tactical gifts of Alastair Clarkson, the authenticity of Damien Hardwick.

But where he will succeed as a jack of all trades who can pull together the Roos is nailing the areas they failed in so comprehensively this season.

RELATED: NORTH SETS AMBITIOUS TARGET FOR NOBLE

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In no particular order they bungled their medical decisions with senior players such as Ben Cunnington and Jack Ziebell, they chose a senior assistant who saw the senior players in open revolt at his methods, they fragmented as a club in the challenging hub environment.

They should have had their CEO and president in the hub when things were coming apart at the seams and Rhyce Shaw’s struggles were becoming apparent.

Noble’s chief quality will be to get the entire club humming in unison.

Skipper Jack Ziebell and new North Melbourne coach David Noble.

To make smart decisions on the game plan that maximise their list strengths, to not blink when the kids they recruit don’t turn into immediate on-field wins, to quickly nip in the bud issues that festered and brought the Roos down this year.

By making smart footy decision after smart decision – not just relying on one brilliant characteristic such as match-day wizardry or his ability to orchestrate brilliant trades – Noble can do exactly what Chris Fagan has achieved at Brisbane.

So what are the key priorities for Noble to get the Roos back to premiership contention.

1. Split the No. 2 overall draft picks.

North Melbourne would love to recruit WA forward Logan McDonald or a key position player of his ilk.

What they actually need is a key position back to eventually replace Robbie Tarrant and they can get that later in the top 10 while also securing another top-10 pick in the exchange.

Both Gold Coast and Essendon would likely give heaven and earth to secure pick 2 from the Roos, which will become pick 3, so they can get marking forward McDonald.

Look at any top 10 in the past decade.

The No. 3 pick is often no better than the players taken later in the top 10.

Last year would you prefer Luke Jackson (pick 3) or both of Hayden Young and Caleb Serong?

The year before would you prefer Izak Rankine or both of Bailey Smith and Tarryn Thomas?

Get two top-10 picks for one – two of Essendon’s trio of 6, 7 and 8 or Gold Coast’s five and a first-rounder next year.

Port Adelaide didn’t succeed because they recruited Connor Rozee, they did it because they got Rozee, Zac Butters and Xavier Duursma in the same draft.

2. Fix Jaidyn Stephenson

Noble wants to play him on the wing and in the midfield.

So let’s address the elephant in the room this year.

Stephenson seemed to play scared this year, not by my judgment but by luminaries including Mick McGuane and senior teammates who felt he was afraid to commit his body.

They knew it and he knew it, and it was one of the reasons the Pies weren’t shattered to let him go.

North Melbourne has an ex-player who made himself the Shinboner of the Century by going back EVERY TIME even though it sometimes made him sick to his stomach in anticipation.

Stephenson’s first port of call should be setting up a coffee date with Glenn Archer to ask him to mentor him.

Getting the best from recruit Jaidyn Stephenson will be a priority.

While we are at it, Wayne Carey’s media platform requires him to make strong comments on the Roos, which is what Triple M and Seven demand of him and makes it hard for him to be a permanent fixture around the club.

But if key forwards Cam Zurhaar and Nick Larkey haven’t called him up to ask for a semi-regular coffee with the greatest Kangaroo of all time they aren’t serious about their careers
3. Build via the draft, not through trying to secure unattainable free agents.

North Melbourne have struck out and missed on a million trade and free agency targets who ultimately wanted to play for a so-called “big club” or play regularly at the MCG instead of Marvel Stadium.

Frankly it has been an embarrassment which has affected the club’s brand.

For all of the impact of Lachie Neale at Brisbane and Charlie Cameron, their rise up the ladder has been fuelled by the draft, from Jarrod Berry to Cam Rayner to Hugh McCluggage to Zac Bailey to Eric Hipwood — all of them early picks.

Many rebuilds start at ground zero.

Very few start with 6-8 exciting kids already on the list.

The Roos have those kids, now they need 6-8 more, not a million dollar free agent who might be retired by the time they mature.

4. Play the kids in the positions they will eventually flourish in.

Shaun Higgins played wing this year.

Everyone kicked the Roos for it but they wanted to play their kids in meaningful positions and it allowed the likes of Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke to spend significant time in the centre square.

It’s a tough balancing act but Tristan Xerri needs enough game time to be ready to go when Todd Goldstein retires, just as Oscar McInerney was before he moved ahead of Stefan Martin this year.

The Roos onball unit floundered without Cunnington because it was so reliant on him but he turns 30 next year so he won’t be around forever.

Luke Davies-Uniacke showed his class with greater midfield time.

5. The Friday night kings

North Melbourne were the Friday night darlings at a time when no one else wanted the timeslot.

Can a club that had to innovate or die continue that tradition with timeslots such as Sunday or Thursday nights?

Fans don’t love attending Sunday night games but they are ratings catnip.

Is the upside of perhaps three or four Sunday night games and all the access to sponsor eyeballs in a marquee spot worth some smaller crowds?

6. Call out the bulldust in the media early and often

One commentator tried to merge them and then relocate them to Tasmania in consecutive weeks as the COVID strife hit.

Another from the AFL’s official website assaults them by the week on an online platform the league has admitted is not independent, so represents the AFL’s own views.

If the Roos are relocating – with 11 profits in 12 seasons and $450,000 of debt – then they are doing it a long time after St Kilda, with $12 million in debt and $4 million in annual distributions more than any other Victorian club in each of the past three seasons.

Which other senior coach has a better understanding of football and its finances than Noble – seemingly only years from becoming an AFL CEO before this career move – in calling out the nonsense?

If not, fans come to believe continual drip feed of opinion might actually be fact.

7. Throw open the doors even wider.

The Roos do media relations better than any other AFL club.

I asked to talk to Todd Goldstein recently and I was on the phone to him an hour later.

At some clubs that access would take weeks.

Go back to those weekly open media sessions where everyone is available.

Everyone pretty much is anyway, but the official open access each week – or every few weeks – is symbolic.

Bring the members on the journey because there will be bumpy roads.

Mike up Noble in the coaches box, tell the stories of the dozen kids who will one day form the premiership nucleus.

Make it open slather.

8. Use the Lions comparison because it’s instructive

In Chris Fagan’s first two seasons the Lions won five games with a percentage of 74, then five games with a percentage of 89.

Then they exploded with 16 wins and 15 wins.

Let’s get serious – even if Jack Ziebell is hopeful there can be a quick bounce what is much more likely is a couple of years of serious pain before the gradual leap up the ladder.

9. Get the medical services right

Brisbane was able to secure Nakia Cockatoo and Joe Daniher because the Lions could spruik head of medical services Peter Blanch and his work with the likes of Lincoln McCarthy and Grant Birchall.

Say what you want about the individual circumstances of Cunnington and Ziebell but Rhyce Shaw admitted the Roos shouldn’t have played Cunnington against the Dogs when he was barely fit.

Ben Cunnington cuts a forlorn figure after being injured this year.

He played three games for the year and the hamstrung Ziebell played eight games for 63 touches and 1.7.

Enough said.

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