Empty words and over the top celebrations: Here's how low North Melbourne have fallen

You don’t need to be a sports journalist, writer, or footy expert to state the obvious – the North Melbourne Football Club has been and continues to be an absolute shambles of an organisation.

There have been so many problems to pick from that have accumulated to the Kangaroos finding themselves in this position, from recruitment of players and coaches, decisions from senior board members, and a failure to clearly stick to a clear long-term plan to at least stabilise the club of some sorts.

All of those issues can be discussed in detail on another day, but let’s just focus on the events that occurred on Saturday afternoon at Marvel Stadium against the Tigers.

There is no denying that the club is in dire need of some good news after the struggles it has endured for many years, however, the new appointment of coach Leigh Adams and the first win in 14 games is no excuse for the excessive celebrations after the game. 



Is there a counter argument that we should let the players enjoy a rare victory and make the most of it? Correct, it was great for them to sing the club song in the change rooms after so many tumultuous weeks. At the end of the day though, four points is four points and the win should not be treated as some sort of grand final.

North Melbourne players celebrate defeating Richmond. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

North players were emotional after the siren, with Jy Simpkin saying “this is for you Nobes” in the post-game interview, referring to sacked coach David Noble.

As much as it was a famous win, it is worth asking the question of where was that emotion, hunger, and determination when Noble was actually there?

There was no fallout with the previous manager as Nick Larkey pointed out that Noble “gave everything to the club” and is “a great man,” so the relationship between players and coach was there.



It is well known that teams show a reaction to any new coach coming in, but to not see that same effort in previous games is disappointing. 



This club is all talk but takes little action to achieve its target goals. Back in 2020, chairman Ben Buckley stated that he wanted to achieve a premiership in the next three years. Ridiculous statements such as that only add unnecessary pressure on an already struggling brand.

To say North supporters have had it tough is a massive understatement as they have endured constant pain. Despite yesterday’s result, personally, I would be ashamed to be a fan of such a poorly run football club.

The next question that should be posed is whether those supporters should be doing a little bit more to help the club move in the right direction.

Such steps can be taken such as boycotting matches and gathering peaceful protests against the club’s board of directors. Fans need to understand that they have more of a voice than they realise, and that there comes a point where enough is simply enough.

People are spending money on tickets and memberships only for that money to be pumped back into the club and watch 40+ point losses every week.

Again, is there a counter argument that fans should stick by their team during the bad times not just the good? Yes, that’s fair enough. In saying that though, where are the signs that the good times will occur anytime soon? Are they happy to be a mediocre club for the foreseeable future?

It’s funny how different cultural fan bases work around the world. To compare AFL and European football, for example, football supporters will go to those lengths mentioned above to try and make some sort of change happen as it’s their way of showing passion.

Maybe because the AFL and the A-League do not have a relegation system and no consequences for poor performances and campaigns, the stakes are not as high, and that motivation to improve quicker is not quite there, as for AFL the reward for winning the wooden spoon is winning the number 1 draft pick.

What message does the board send when they are seen on the ground after the game enjoying the highs but not fronting up the media when things get tough and supporters want answers?



This club needs to take confidence from the win, but look to put their head down and work twice as hard to show signs of some consistency until the of the season. 



Of course, the Kangas deserved to celebrate a great win against arguably the best team in the past 5 years. It was just a bit too over the top for a club that still has such a long way to go until they can even be talking about making the top eight, let alone win a premiership.

That’s what all clubs aspire to, don’t they?