North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw has taken extended leave for personal reasons

Rhyce Shaw’s future as North Melbourne coach is in doubt after the club confirmed he had taken extended leave for personal reasons. The shock decision will likely see Shaw absent during the upcoming trade and draft periods.

Rhyce Shaw is taking an extended break as coach of North Melbourne.

The future of North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw is in doubt after the club confirmed he had taken extended leave for personal reasons.

Shaw, 38, is taking a break from the game after a gruelling season in the Queensland hubs.

The shock decision will likely see Shaw absent from duty during the upcoming trade and draft period.

Shaw, contracted for next year, took time out immediately after the club’s Round 18 clash against West Coast at Metricon Stadium.

Kangaroos chairman Ben Buckley emailed club members on Friday with an update that included the following statement:

“We have been acutely aware of speculation regarding our head coach, but we have not been in a position to say anything as we are respecting the wishes of Rhyce and his family. Rhyce has asked for some time and space away from football and we have provided him support during this period. We thank the media for their ongoing cooperation and trust they understand we can’t make further comment at this time.”

The 2012 Sydney premiership defender was appointed interim coach of the Roos in May last year after the departure of Brad Scott, winning four of his first five games at the helm.

He was announced as head coach in August last year, but North managed just three wins this season, finishing second-last on the ladder.

Rhyce Shaw tries to inspire his players during a tough three-win season.

Former Collingwood great Tony Shaw — who is Rhyce’s uncle — said he had spoken to his brother Ray on Friday night about the Kangaroos coach.

The 1990 premiership skipper said Rhyce was “physically getting himself together.”

“I think the hub really got to him a little bit, and I think it got to everybody really that wasn’t playing finals because you’re still around football,” Shaw said on 3AW.

“He went away for a week up to North Queensland, and I was told it was a health resort or something like that.

“And then came back to Melbourne and (he’s) been back in Melbourne for three weeks now.

“I see that (the news) and I’m not happy about it but that’s all I can tell you.

“For our listeners I would be upfront and honest if it didn’t have a detrimental effect on him, but I don’t know that at this stage.

“That’s where it is.”

When asked if he knew whether his nephew still wanted to coach on next year, Shaw replied:

“My brother (Ray) said to me, and if he lied to me to help his son I’ve got no worries with that, but he just said to me he hasn’t questioned him.

“He wants to leave him to his own devices.

“He’ll support him and we’ll all support him, but he hasn’t questioned him so I can’t give you anything.

“In one way I think sooner or later you’ve got to come out and together make a decision, but not to the detriment of his health.

“If that’s what it is and they haven’t made that decision, I commend the North Melbourne Footy Club.

“If there are other things behind the scenes and we find out later about them, we might not commend them.

“But I just have to read it like they (the club) have read it out tonight, and that’s where it is.”

AFL players and experts sent their best wishes to Shaw after the news broke on Friday.

“It’s an incredibly sad story, there’s no other way to describe it,” ex-Western Bulldogs star Luke Darcy said on Triple M.

“(Football) ... is a close community and you just don’t like to hear someone who is part of our fraternity going through that situation.

“We wish him all the best and hope his recovery’s a speedy one.”

It was reported by the Herald Sun on October 6 that North Melbourne had reached out to Sydney Swans’ premiership coach Paul Roos about a role at the club next season.

Roos is in Hawaii and is not expected to return home to Australia until early in the new year.

The Kangaroos poached one of his former Sydney lieutenants and close friend John Blakey from the Swans at the start of this month to work as an assistant coach next year at Arden St.

The Roos have overhauled their assistant coaching staff, cutting ties with Jade Rawlings, who still had two years remaining on his contract, Heath Scotland, Jarred Moore, Jared Rivers, Jason Lappin and Brendan Whitecross

Roos, who took the Swans to the 2005 premiership, led Melbourne out of the darkest chapter of the club’s history before handing the reins to Simon Goodwin.

Buckley said in his letter to members on Friday night: “I’m delighted John Blakey will be returning to his spiritual home for next season and beyond as senior assistant coach.

“He is a person of great character, has wonderful experience having coached at the Brisbane Lions during their successful era, and more recently was part of the foundation of the culture that led to the success of the Sydney Swans. We will continue to add more resources and expertise to our coaching panel.”

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North Melbourne only won three games this season, finishing the year in 17th place.

“In no way can we afford to brush over what was a year below our standards and while we know our team was restricted by injury which compromised our ability to field our best side, our performances were not at the level we expect,” Buckley wrote.

:As a result, and like we do at the end of every year, we are looking at our football department structure, list-management, coaching panel, high-performance, and medical areas and programs in an effort to improve across the board.

“There has been change, and there will be more, but we are not going to apologise for trying to make this club better.”

- with Nick Smart