Sacked North Melbourne coach David Noble says he DIDN’T get a fair go as he’s axed after 38 games

The ink is not yet dry on David Noble’s resignation but the former North Melbourne coach has already declared he has ‘unfinished business’ in the AFL.

The axe finally fell on the coach 38 games in charge that reaped just five wins – including just a single win in 2022 against the Covid-decimated West Coast Eagles. 

The Kangaroos had a chance for a huge, morale-boosting win over Collingwood on the weekend but could not kick a single goal in the final quarter to ultimately lose by nine points.

While Noble wanted to continue and promised the players that results will turn if they continue to work hard, his position became untenable. 

When asked if he thought he got a fair enough go with just 38 games in charge, Noble was blunt.

‘Probably not. Not in my experience,’ he said.

But he did admit after a heart-to-heart with club president Dr Sonja Hood that his role had become untenable. 

‘It wasn’t a surprise,’ he said. 

‘At the end of the day the buck stops with me.

‘I gave my absolute heart and soul to the job and I think I leave the place in a strong position for success in the not too distant future.

‘We are both comfortable that this is the right call for the club, my family and myself.

‘I would have liked to bring more success to the club … but it wasn’t to be.

‘I’m confident that I gave my all to the players and staff at the football club, but ultimately the scoreboard doesn’t make for great reading.’

He described the moment he broke the news to the Kangaroos players as ‘one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do’. 

‘I see the hard work you’re putting in, and it will turn,’ Noble said

‘[The players] were shattered. There was a lot of tears, there was a lot of emotion.’

According to Dr Hood, Noble’s on-field performances had not met expectations, prompting the club to end his contract. 

‘While we appreciate that we are at the beginning of a rebuild, it doesn’t give us a free pass in terms of expecting competitive performances,’ she said.

We entered this season optimistic about 2022 because of our record in the second half of 2021 and solid off-season recruiting,’ Dr Hood said.

‘The pre-season sentiment internally was overwhelmingly positive.

‘Resisting the urge to dream big, we set a simple benchmark – improve on last year, compete consistently against the teams around us on the ladder and play a brand of football that challenged the competition’s best teams.

Jack Ziebell of North Melbourne leads players from the field after their loss to Collingwood

‘Put simply, we have failed to live up to those expectations, and that is why we have agreed to end David’s tenure as coach.’

In the early part of the season, CEO Ben Amarfio stood by Noble despite pressure mounting after a poor start to the season. He said he would make no apologies for standing by Noble. 

‘This is a performance-based business. It’s brutal. And our results have been poor,’ he said.

‘If my credibility is called into question because I showed faith and loyalty in our coach, then I’m happy to wear that.’

Dr Hood backed Amarfio remaining CEO, saying the club’s executive board, stakeholders and the AFL were not concerned about the position.