2020s
2020
Record: 3-14, 71.2%
Ladder Position: 17th
Syd Barker Medal: Luke McDonald
Leading Goalkicker: Cameron Zurhaar (18)
North Melbourne's 2020 season started brightly, recording a hard-fought comeback win over St Kilda in Round 1, before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Upon the league's resumption, North secured a brilliant win away to GWS, and sat second on the ladder after two rounds with a 2-0 start.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for the Roos, who won just one of their remaining 15 matches, most of which were played in the Queensland hub.
Injuries to key figures such as Ben Cunnington, Jack Ziebell and Ben Brown took their toll on the field, but these absences afforded opportunity for the club's next generation.
Luke McDonald enjoyed a stellar year at half-back, capped off with a first Syd Barker Medal. In the midfield, Jy Simpkin emerged as a future leader, while Luke Davies-Uniacke excelled late in the season.
22-year-old's Cam Zurhaar and Nick Larkey led the way in forward line, with the former leading North's goal tally.
Head coach Rhyce Shaw and the club parted ways at the end of the season by mutual agreement, with David Noble taking over the reins for 2021.
2021
Record: 4-17-1, 70.3%
Ladder Position: 18th
Syd Barker Medal: Jy Simpkin
Leading Goalkicker: Nick Larkey (42)
North Melbourne’s 2021 season was one of development, with the introduction of new senior coach David Noble seeing immense improvement over the course of the campaign.
The club brought in 11 new players, including high-profile recruit Jaidyn Stephenson from Collingwood, and number three draft pick Will Phillips.
After missing most of the 2020 campaign, Ben Cunnington was made to wait for his return to the side, with a concussion suffered in pre-season delaying his comeback until Round 3.
The defence was in a state of flux early in the year, with injuries and unavailability of Robbie Tarrant, Aidan Corr and Luke McDonald seeing an inexperienced backline very much learn on the job.
Jack Ziebell, Kayne Turner, Aaron Hall and Aidan Bonar were all thrown into the defence to great effect, with Ziebell finishing the season with a third-placed finish in the Syd Barker Medal.
North’s young crop of first-year midfielders all excelled at different points in the season, with Tom Powell impressing enough to win the club’s young player of the year, however his season was ended early due to injury. Will Phillips and Charlie Lazzaro gained valuable AFL experience, while also excelling at VFL level.
Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar both stepped up to lead a young forward line, with the pair combining for 73 goals over the year and becoming one of the most lethal forward partnerships in the AFL in the back half of the campaign
North had to wait until Round 9 for its first win of the season, a hard-fought seven point victory over Hawthorn. Midfield trio Ben Cunnington, Jy Simpkin and Luke Davies-Uniacke ran the show in the middle of the ground, combining for 99 disposals and 38 clearances.
A draw with GWS followed in Round 13, before the club once again tasted victory in Round 15, this time over Gold Coast.
Round 17’s win over West Coast was arguably the game of the season, with North holding on by ten points to register an epic triumph in Perth. Jaidyn Stephenson starred with 38 disposals and a goal, while Jy Simpkin had 32 touches of his own.
The Round 19 victory over Carlton was a coming of age win for the side, as North dismantled the Blues to the tune of 39 points. Nick Larkey was immense, kicking 7 goals and finishing with 20 disposals, while Tarryn Thomas kicked four of his own.
The removal of a tumour rendered star midfielder Ben Cunnington unavailable for the final four games of the season, and while the Kangaroos failed to register a win after Round 19, there were countless positive signs for the future.
2022
Record: 2-20, 55.8%
Ladder Position: 18th
Syd Barker Medal: Jy Simpkin
Leading Goalkicker: Nick Larkey (38)
The 2022 season was largely a difficult one for North Melbourne, but despite recording a second wooden spoon in as many years, there were still several bright moments that allowed Roos fans to cheer and then marvel about what may unfold in the near future.
Although it was ultimately a disappointing campaign, the Roos didn’t have to wait long for their first victory of the season as they trumped West Coast in Round 2 by 15 points.
The wins dried up from then onwards, but the club's young crop continued to develop and gain valuable experience. Bailey Scott thrived in his new role and came away with a third-placed Syd Barker Medal finish, 2022 draftee Paul Curtis added a much-needed spark in the forward-line and Ben McKay was an intercepting fiend down back.
Jack Ziebell became the 12th Roo to notch up 250 games, while Luke McDonald and Aaron Hall reached 150 games each. Jy Simpkin and Hugh Greenwood also recorded their 100th games.
After announcing that the club would be parting ways with senior coach David Noble after Round 17, the team, led by Luke Davies-Uniacke at the MCG, put in an incredibly valiant performance against an in-form Collingwood outfit.
The seven-point defeat stung, but North tasted victory a week later under caretaker coach Leigh Adams. Cam Zurhaar booted six goals including a match-winner against Richmond in an inspiring performance that saw the Roos clinch a second win.
Weeks later, the football world rejoiced when club legend Ben Cunnington made his return to competitive football, and subsequently, to AFL action in Round 22 after recovering from a second battle with cancer.
More rousing news followed as Shinboner No.781 and four-time AFL premiership coach Alastair Clarkson agreed to coach the team on a five-year deal.
Simpkin capped off another strong campaign with a second Syd Barker Medal, polling 130 votes, while Davies-Uniacke emerged as a bona fide star in the back-half of the season and finished runner-up.
2023
Record: 3-20, 71.5%
Ladder Position: 17th
Syd Barker Medal: Harry Sheezel
Leading Goalkicker: Nick Larkey (71)
Under new senior coach Alastair Clarkson and fresh co-captains Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald, the Roos kickstarted 2023 with consecutive stirring victories over Western Australian clubs West Coast (Round 1) and Fremantle (Round 2), with the latter testing the nerves of fans all over the country as the result went down to the wire.
It was a magical start to the season following back-to-back wooden spoons in 2021 and 2022, but on-field performances began to dip as the year wore on.
With a young and emerging list, the side struggled to challenge the top clubs over four quarters, but there was plenty of positive signs bubbling away on and beneath the surface.
No.3 selection from the 2022 AFL National Draft Harry Sheezel rapidly became a calm and composed figure behind the ball for the Roos, while No.4 pick George Wardlaw showed plenty of glimpses of his patented, hard-nosed style of play.
Among the defeats, Todd Goldstein became the sixth player in club history to play 300 games, before finishing on 315 and joining Essendon as an unrestricted free agent. Jaidyn Stephenson also clocked 100 AFL games, doing so against his former club Collingwood.
North Melbourne came close to pinching wins off the likes of Sydney and Essendon, but was made to wait until the final game of the season to snap its 20-game skid. Nick Larkey, who slotted a career-best 71 goals for the season, smashed through a single game personal best of nine against the Suns to help propel his group to a 35-point win.
The performance solidified his position in the 2023 AFL All-Australian team, while Sheezel also earned end-of-season honours, taking home the AFL Rising Star and AFLPA Best First Year Player awards to go along with his maiden Syd Barker Medal.
The year's end brought an emotional changing of the guard too, with the club and competition bidding farewell to champions Ben Cunnington and Jack Ziebell.
2024
Record: 3-20, 63.5%
Ladder Position: 17th
Syd Barker Medal: Luke Davies-Uniacke
Leading Goalkicker: Nick Larkey (46)
In their second year under Alastair Clarkson, the Kangaroos started with 11 straight losses, finally tasting success against West Coast in Round 13.
A string of promising performances followed after the bye, including morale-boosting wins against Gold Coast and Richmond and a gut-wrenching loss to reigning premier Collingwood, after the Roos had led by 54 points.
However the form could not be sustained, and the young Roos ended the season with heavy losses to the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn.
No.2 draft selection Colby McKercher became a fan favourite in his first year, displaying his blistering pace off half-back, while No.4 pick Zane Duursma created highlights with his soaring leap and knack for goal.
Backing up his phenomenal rookie season, Harry Sheezel continued to show his class as he powered towards winning the AFL Coaches' Association's Best Young Player Award, averaging 29.8 disposals, 6.3 marks and 5.2 score involvements.
Key Roos Luke Davies-Uniacke, Bailey Scott, Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar notched 100 AFL games, defender Aidan Corr and co-captain Jy Simpkin clocked 150, while fellow co-skipper Luke McDonald reached 200.
Ruckman Tristan Xerri produced a career-best campaign following Todd Goldstein's departure, rewarded with a runner-up finish in the Syd Barker Medal vote count and inclusion in the All-Australian squad alongside teammate Sheezel - although both missed out on the final team.
After three consecutive top-five finishes, Davies-Uniacke was crowned the 2024 Syd Barker medallist, having averaged 27.7 disposals and 6.3 clearances.
