North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey throws support behind embattled coach David Noble

Even a bomb couldn’t destroy North Melbourne according to a club legend who says support has rallied for coach David Noble.

North Melbourne coach David Noble is under the gun. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Embattled North Melbourne coach David Noble needs “patience” from fans and the AFL world according to his long-time mentor Chris Fagan, who said the massive rebuild he embarked on took time.

Fagan’s support comes as North legend Brent Harvey said even if “someone dropped a bomb on Melbourne” the Kangaroos would survive after a torrid week for the club.

Noble moved to the Kangaroos after serving as an assistant to Fagan at the Lions and their friendship stretches back to their Tasmanian roots.

On Friday, the Lions coach, who won just 10 games in his first two seasons in charge in Brisbane working with Noble before taking them to the finals in each of the past three seasons, said the North mentor needed time to finish the job he started.

“It’s always a difficult time when coaches are under the pump,” Fagan said.

“I know myself in the first couple of years here it was hard work when we weren‘t winning many games and people are looking trying to look for reasons why.

“He‘s trying to rebuild a footy club and there’s a bit of pain associated with that as we found out.

Chris Fagan and David Noble worked together at the Lions. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

“Hopefully, some patience can be shown and wise heads prevail and that he and the team can see their way through it.“

Harvey, the North Melbourne games record-holder and the current runner, echoed the sentiments of Noble and club chief executive Ben Amarfio who said they were in the fight together after registering just one win in 10 games this season and the departures of three recruiting staff this week.

“I’ll tell you one thing, what happens at the North Melbourne Football Club, internally, we stick together. That’s how it’s been this week,” Harvey told RSN.

“Yes, there’s been a few little announcements and stuff like that, but we stick together.

“There’s one thing I read a few years back now, and it’s actually quite funny because I think it’s exactly the same. If someone dropped a bomb on Melbourne, there would be two things that would survive it – cockroaches and the North Melbourne Football Club.

David Noble and Brent Harvey, who has the coach’s back. Picture: Michael Klein

“It feels exactly the same, it feels exactly like that. Sometimes this stuff can bring you together, and it’s sort of done that this week.”

Fagan said Noble was feeling more heat than the Lions coach did in his early days because he was coaching a Melbourne team.

But that didn’t mean he deserved any less time to get the job done.

“It‘s a red-hot footy town. There’s no doubt about that,” Fagan said.

“So there’s not too much sympathy for you.

“I think if they can show some improvement in the second half of the year, that’ll definitely help them.

“I’m not there, I don’t know what’s going on internally.

“I sort of hope that they can show some improvement and that helps Nobes and the other coaches there have life a little bit easier for a while.”

Originally published as North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey throws support behind embattled coach David Noble