‘Disturbing’ report about Kangaroos crisis as players sour on coach

The news keeps getting worse for North Melbourne following a damning claim about Kangaroos players’ relationship with their coach.

The Kangaroos are in disarray. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

There are more concerns about North Melbourne as questions continue to be asked during their horror season.

A 47-point loss to Melbourne on Saturday night leaves the Kangaroos languishing in 17th with just one win from 10 games in 2022.

It was revealed earlier this year coach David Noble apologised to the playing group for a fiery spray that shocked some of his troops and according to reports, the Roos are still an unhappy camp.

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Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson told Footy Classified on Monday night fractures are widening inside the club as relationships with the coach deteriorate.

“The stories coming out of the club about the relationship between the coach and the players are disturbing,” Wilson said.

“It was disturbing last week when news leaked to the Herald Sun about the spray after the Brisbane loss that David Noble had given his players, so bad that he apologised.

“I think that’s a problem when players are talking about that stuff. I’m hearing more and more about players just being disenchanted with the coach … with his temper on occasions.

“We hear reports about David getting very, very frustrated during some performances. The coaches are sort of ‘we’, the players are ‘they’, some of the language you’re hearing about.

“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.”

The players aren’t responding to David Noble. (Photo by Mike Owen/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

AFL great Kane Cornes said it was unfair to lump all the blame on Noble, pointing the finger at North Melbourne’s list management as the main reason for the club’s disastrous results.

“I’ve got some sympathy for David Noble because I don’t think he’s got the list that he needs,” Cornes told Footy Classified.

“This isn’t a coaching issue; this is a list issue.

“I’d love to ask the question: what’s one positive list management move they have made in the last three years?”