This is a piece I never thought I would have to write.
But no one ever thinks the club they love so dearly and have cherished for years would be losing their way.
2019 has been a difficult year so far for North Melbourne supporters, who have watched the promise and excitement of 2018 slip away, only to be replaced with a club that appears directionless both on and off the field.
Week in, week out, I have racked my brain trying to work out what’s gone wrong and how can things get better. It wasn’t until former North Melbourne great David King spoke (Herald Sun, April 25 2019), that I truly began to listen.
“There are too many “visitors” at Arden Street,” wrote King.
“Visitors” being short-to-medium term occupants who either don’t believe in North Melbourne’s heart and south – The Shinboner – or have not embraced the clubs beliefs.
“The Shinboner is a unifying, overarching ethos that not only embraces the struggles of the past but sets the bare minimum standards that this once great football club demands.
“North Melbourne’s culture was born from the Shinboner and has always been about its people, past and present.
“Often it was all we had.
“… I accept that when discussing North Melbourne, I’m accused either of being too supportive, or turning on the club that gave me all that I enjoy. But I write this because I care.”
There have been a few decisions made over the past few years that have been particularly difficult to swallow and in my eyes, have lead up to what has happened over this weekend.
The first in 2016.
I don’t need to remind you what happened to Boomer and Co but there is one detail of the story that sticks out in my mind above all. The club made the decision to farewell our champions in the round 23 clash at Etihad against the Giants.
(AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
North Melbourne, however, finished 8th that year and were Adelaide bound for the elimination final.
What sort of message does that send to supporters? Simply one of surrender before the game has even arrived. Sure, as a supporter, I wasn’t overly confident going into that game, but I hardly want or expect my doubts to be echoed by the football club.
I want to know that my club is walking onto Adelaide Oval expecting a win.
The Shinboners would never give up.
But that was nothing compared to what was coming two years later.
At the end of 2018, the club ran a ‘Keep North at Arden Street Forever’ campaign, where, with the help of the entire North Melbourne family, the club successfully raised over $1,000,000 to secure the club’s future at home, in Melbourne.
Within days, CEO Carl Dilena announced the club will play an extra game in Hobart (taking it to a total four games) a year until at least the end of the 2021 season.
What a slap in the face.
You’ve just asked your supporters, many of whom would’ve given up what little money they may have, to donate in order to secure the club’s future in Melbourne, only to tell them we’re plonking another home game in Tasmania.
Couldn’t have planned poorer timing.
The main reason behind the decision was thanks to North’s great record at Blundstone and essentially notching up another “free” win for the season.
That’s already backfired; with North losing its first of four games in Tasmania for the year, meaning the club won’t win anymore there than they did last year (three games).
To add further insult to injury, we are now at the end of round 10 and the Melbourne-based club will play just five more games in Melbourne (and one in Geelong) for the year.
And to me, that’s the beginning of the Roos’ identity crisis.
Not to mention its AFLW ‘North Melbourne Tasmania Kangaroos’ team.
This is not what supporters want and not what they’ve invested decades of membership, support and finances into, because this is not who we are.
We are not a team of split alliances.
We are the North Melbourne Football Club, or so I’m told. Things must change.
(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
And that first change was made over the weekend.
You have to give credit to the club, who, with the exception of Wayne Schimmelbusch in early 1993 have amicably and respectfully split with its coaches when the time is right. I’d say if the news of Brad Scott’s exit hadn’t made it to the media, he probably would’ve been at the club until at least the bye weekend, or departed at seasons end.
And I think he deserved more than to have his departure fast-tracked, but that is the world we live in these days.
But his time was up. 10 years and no grand final appearances would suggest so.
He did take the club to two preliminary finals and along the way notched up one of the most famous finals wins in the modern era, a dramatic come from behind victory against Essendon in the 2014 Elimination Final.
Many will criticise Scott for his outspokenness, but it was somewhat refreshing in an over controlled and rather tame industry we have.
Some will believe he mismanaged player development over the years, but won’t applaud him for his success with Robbie Tarrant, Ben Jacobs, Majak Daw, Jarrad Waite, Shaun Higgins and Jed Anderson, just to name a few.
Above all, he was adored by the players, who played for him every week. And he handled himself so gracefully in his final appearance as coach of North Melbourne in his exiting press conference on Sunday morning.
But the time is right and I for one am looking forward to seeing how Rhys Shaw approaches the remainder of 2019.
I think this is the first of a few changes that need to happen and the biggest change is that they rediscover a North Melbourne focus. Only a decade ago, when the club was crying poverty, was the Shinboner Spirit thriving at Arden Street.
The club was lead by highly passionate advocates in James Brawyshaw and Eugene Aroca. Now, the support of passionate North Melbourne people is being turned away.
For a club that is losing their identity, that is the single worst thing they could do. If Ben Buckley and Carl Dilena are the right men for the job, then prove it.
Their absence in the media, social media and in general around the club is doing more damage than it is good.
If it were up to me, I’d trade the businessmen for North nuffies. People who would bleed for the club are the people who should lead the club, because they don’t have to money compared to other Victorian-based clubs to pay their way in the game.
While the club has knocked away criticism directed in its direction, maybe they need to look a bit deeper and realise its coming from a place of care and concern for something these critics love very much.
It has been a highly emotional few days for all those involved with the club but once the dust has settled and the club has a fair bit of work to do to get itself back on track.
The victory against the Bulldogs on the weekend was the perfect end to this chapter in the North Melbourne story.
It was also the perfect start to the next one. It was a very impressive performance on the field and it was lead with heart and soul, but the mood amongst fans at the ground was eerie.
They were flat.
There was a realisation that this is the end of an era.
But what might’ve been rediscovered is that little bit of Shinboner Spirit, which left the building quite some time ago and now the club has taken its first step in putting its brand back together.
And now, North Melbourne, it’s time to do so.
Welcome passionate people back into the helm. Get them leading from the front instead of allowing our leaders to disappear into the background.
Bring the club’s home base back to Melbourne. The club is in a financially stable position that it doesn’t need to sell games in Tasmania.
Now, for the first time probably ever, the club is also in a position financially that they can bottom out and properly rebuild its list.
But above all, put the Shinboner Spirit at the forefront of everything we do and let it lead us towards this next chapter for the club.
Because without it, there’s no North Melbourne.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
David King in his heart felt Scott was a visitor and he stands by that word. It was more damaging than probably anything he could have said. He probably feels a bit like a visitor himself sometimes and vented it on the undeserving Scott. It looks like Darren Archer is close to the heart and soul of the place and he and Scotty came to their fork in the road. Their alliance finished the winds changed and King was astute enough to read the tealeaves and went hard from the heart. Which is where it hit Brad Scott. Ten years of giving and he has to hear this from his own people. This should have been a phone call and a cup of coffee beforehand. I don't think King realizes his power in swaying events. Did King hang Scott out to dry for the sake of a bleeding heart story. You bet he did and that's what he's pretty much paid to do. As for the shinboner spirit and it's place in the business of AFL. Surely it's just as necessary in the journalistic realm.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
I think Scott is a good coach and has probably over achieved with the lists the club gave him. I was also glad to see him get a win and above the line. With a decent list he will make a great coach if he gets half a chance at another club. Perhaps unconsciously, and a few years ago Eddy Maguire made some prophetic comments about how recruiting strategies were going to develop. Recognising that as all clubs became better at recruiting and salary cap strategies any differences between offers would be at the margins, the deciding factors in a player's club selection would become outside of the salary cap parameters. So the less tangible factors, like personalities around the club, facilities and chances of success. Part of the considerations in Collingwood establishing the training facilities at the old Olympic swimming pool was to make Collingwood a destination club. Since its opening Collingwood has regularly taken prospective new players through the facilities and used them as a tool to assist recruiting. The question for North is how will they be able to find a strategic advantage that will allow them to attract and retain talent. The first thing that comes to mind is identify the best recruiter and list manager in the competition and start to build through the draft. Then with a basis in having a talented list recruit on the basis of future success.
JamesH
Roar Guru
You're touching on something that hasn't been covered in this otherwise-good article. I don't know much about the internal machinations but in the entire time Scott has been at the helm, North's list has never been particularly talented. There are a handful of players who have flirted with superstar status (e.g. Brown, Goldy, Cunnington, Higgins, Tarrant) but haven't quite got there. Wells and Boomer were North's best players during Scott's tenure but Wells was always injured and Boomer was past his prime. There has always seemed to be a lot of triers at North - guys who aren't hugely skilled yet play with a lot of heart and effort. That's not an insult because you absolutely need these kinds of players, but you also need a sprinkling of star power around them to lift them to the next level. North haven't had that. They haven't been able to lure the big free agents and they haven't had the high draft picks. Marnie lists Jed Anderson as an example of smart recruiting but I'm not convinced he has justified the decision to part with a first round selection (used by the Hawks to get Ryan Burton). All things considered, I think Scott did well to take this side to four finals campaigns in nine full seasons, with four wins and two prelim appearances. His win-loss ledger is 106-105 (and it was nice to see the Roos grab the win on the weekend to send him out in the black). Whatever mistakes Scott made, that's a decent record given what he's had to work with.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Roosy was asked about it last night. Rocket had turned all the players against him though and had gone completely mental. Still Shaw has a great chance. Good chance for the players too to just go for it. A few playing for their careers.
Mike4Roos
Roar Rookie
Wouldn’t that be nice! I think North should go after Ratten
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Intrigued to see if Rhyce Shaw can put in a compelling case a la Roosy post Rocket Eade at Sydney.
Mike4Roos
Roar Rookie
I don’t think the bump on David King was a bad look at all. If I were Scotty I would have ran right through the sniper. As a North Melbourne member, I have never been overly fond of Brad Scott”s selections and game day coaching at times and agree it’s time for a change and some fresh air. Despite this, Brad Scott’s love and dedication to the club has been undeniable. He has always put the club first and the circumstances surrounding his exit are testament to that. He has shown pure class in offering to step aside. For David King to write an article and refer to Brad Scott as a “visitor” in the club after he has given his heat and soul to North Melbourne for near 10 years was way out of line. This coming from a man that hasn’t stepped foot in the club for years. What a hypocrite.
Daz
Guest
Great article. As a Dog's fan it does seem that North has lost its way. I think it really lost something when Brayshaw left as President, he was a true advocate of that club. I think Scott did ok but that Bump on King was a horrible look. Without a premiership that might be one of the main ways he's remembered, David King is the best comments man in the game and a club great so pretty stupid decision. Hopefully North pull back in the right direction, as a poster pointed out they have a rare knck for finding nuggets of gold
dangertroy
Roar Rookie
As someone who moved to Tasmania from Melbourne, I've got to say there is nothing we love more than hearing mainland opinions about what's going to work in terms of AFL in Tasmania. I agree, it would be great for Tasmania to have an AFL side, but it's not a priority for the AFL. The most likely way for Tasmania to get an AFL team in the short term would be if a Melbourne team relocated. The current deals mean that Tasmania gets 8 AFL matches a year, which is probably about right - if there was a side based here it would only mean a few extra games per year. But this is all a digression. North Melbourne have sold home games to Sydney (1999 - 2002), Canberra (2002-2006), GoldCoast( 2007,2008) and finally Hobart(2012 onwards). So in the past 20 years, there has been three seasons where North hasn't played home games to another state. You seem to imply that Tasmania is the problem here. North don't play games here out of the goodness of their hearts - they do so because of a lucrative financial agreement. You say the club is financially stable... If you take out the money that they receive from the Tasmanian government things don't look so rosy. Tasmania is going to be a part of North's identity for a while yet it seems.
Raimond
Roar Guru
There are simply too many teams in Melbourne. The Kangaroos should be looking to soaking some financial/draft concessions to make a permanent move to Tassie -- they could be a real powerhouse.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
I know it was a while ago, but it was big money that bought success to North and with it the big names who played under Barrasi. The real challenge for North is getting players who want to be there. North keeps just missing players to other clubs because players who could bring great skills and who are on the move are only prepared to go to North if the pay is considerably above what they can get elsewhere. Obviously, this is bad for North's cheque book and the salary space they need to attract other talent. I know the committee was discussing this a couple of years ago, but I do not know if they implemented any strategy to address it.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
One bloke who is going to be a star is Tarryn Thomas. Stats aren't huge but he is one punishing footballer. Smart, skilled hand and foot, good finisher, great mark, tackles like a beast. A tall small. He's North's best pick up since I don't know when.
User
Roar Rookie
If Kelly stays at Geelong or chooses Freo then Higgins looking good for a couple of seasons in blue and gold.
The Footy Guy
Guest
Could Nakia Cockatoo be a could fit for north Melbourne?
Tom M
Guest
For me the Shinbonner spirit is something that has held North back. The days of the shinbonner are extinct and the club using it to promote itself wont lead to an increase in supporter base. The club needs some star players not just on the field but off it. Cunnington is a great player but has no star power off the field and the media get nothing out of him, ditto Ben Brown. Star players will never sign for the club if they cant get the exposure they want no matter how much you pay them. I agree that the Tasmanian experiment needs to end, if the club cant fully commit to Melbourne then its time to pack up and head to Tassie for good.
Marnie Cohen
Expert
Club had a very attacking game style in 2018 and it worked well for them.. don't know why they reverted to a keepings off style at the start of this year. It has returned again in the previous 3-4 weeks, though. Had they kicked straight against Geelong, they probably would've won. As for identity, it's not in Tasmania - a team in Tasmania will only succeed if it has it's own identity that locals can resonate. Simply "rebranding" NM (or any team for that matter) as a Tasmanian team isn't going to work because it won't give Tasmanian's a sense of ownership. Club do have a rediscover its identity.
Marnie Cohen
Expert
Thanks so much. Wasn't suggesting they would win all remaining games in Tassie, was stating that as they've lost the first one, they can only win a maximum of three (which is the same amount they played in 2018 and won all three down there last year) and therefore the decision has already backfired, for 2019 anyway. Apologies if I didn't make that clear enough and thank you for reading!
RooBoy18
Roar Rookie
Scott did a great job imo. But now is the perfect time to call The Horse.
Brendan
Guest
Your loyalty and passion for your club shines through this article.IMO North don't attract enough interest from supporters of other clubs .Perhaps the Carey/Longmire days were the last time they did.The new coach should recruit for and develop a team that is as offensive as possible.Make games against North at Marvel a shoot out with hopefully the full-forward for North leafing the Coleman.Brisbane in a short time have gone from boring to watch to great to watch.North need glamour the Melbourne football market is tough .Every club needs an identity and North have to find there's,doubt it is in Tasmania.
XI
Roar Guru
Good article. It's never good when a club falls over itself in such a way, especially when they're a club that should know better by now. Have to disagree that the Roos will get three wins in Tassie. Their next one down there is against the Giants.