North Melbourne has named Brisbane Lions football manager David Noble as its new AFL coach.
Key points:
- Noble replaces Rhyce Shaw, who stood down as Kangaroos head coach last month
- He joins the Kangaroos after working alongside Chris Fagan at the Lions
- Noble played for Fitzroy and has worked as an assistant coach or in the football departments at several clubs
Noble replaces Rhyce Shaw, who left the club in October after one season in charge.
Shaw resigned as Kangaroos coach after coming to a “mutual decision” to stand down. He had taken leave from the club for personal reasons earlier in October.
Noble, 53, edged out Collingwood assistant Robert Harvey and former Western Bulldogs champion Daniel Giansiracusa for the top job at the Kangaroos.
He will take charge at Arden Street following a disappointing 2020 season in which the club finished second last on the ladder with a 3-14 win-loss record.
Kangaroos chairman Ben Buckley said Noble was the right choice to lead the club as it looked to improve in 2021.
“We were very clear on what we wanted in our next coach and we have found that in David,” he said in a statement.
“David has a profound knowledge of all areas of the football department and knows what it takes to win and set up club’s for success, having been part of no less than 13 AFL finals series throughout his impressive career so far.
“We are very confident he will lead our young side back up the ladder in the coming years.”
Noble was chosen by an experienced selection panel, which included Kangaroos great Glenn Archer, Sydney Swans 2005 premiership coach Paul Roos and current general manager of football Brady Rawlings.
After a brief top-flight playing career with Fitzroy, Noble embarked on a long and well-rounded journey in AFL circles.
He was an under 18s coach of the NSW-ACT Rams during the 1990s, a senior AFL assistant and reserves coach with the Bulldogs and held a number of integral off-field roles at the Adelaide Crows.
Noble was headhunted to join the Lions in 2017 when Chris Fagan was appointed coach, with the duo spearheading the club’s surge back up the ladder.
It will be a new-look Kangaroos outfit working under Noble in 2021 following an overhaul of their list and coaching staff.
They delisted 11 players in September, including Majak Daw, while they were busy during the recent AFL trade period, with Ben Brown (Melbourne) and Shaun Higgins (Geelong) finding new clubs.
The Kangaroos bolstered their senior squad with Jaidyn Stephenson and Atu Bosenavulagi coming over from Collingwood, and Lachie Young arriving from the Western Bulldogs.
AAP/ABC
