Much like every club who doesn’t achieve premiership glory, there is no clear marker for the success or failure of North Melbourne’s 2021 campaign.

Looking at the bottom-placed finish, slow start to the season and frustrating final game, it would be easy to leave last season on the shelf gathering dust, never to be thought of again.

Football is about so much more than results though. It’s about growth, emotions, individuals and personalities. From a holistic perspective, North’s 2021 campaign was a success.

David Noble has had a first season of senior coaching that few can compare to, from the early injury issues, to the ever-evolving Covid situation, and the unavailability of key players across the season, he’s experienced every part of what it means to lead a football club.

While it was, at times, difficult, Noble says the promising signs shown by his young group are nothing but exciting.

“It was [a year] of firsts. Some ups, some downs, and quite a few surprises,” he said during the Syd Barker Medal.

“[We had] a new coach, a new game plan, 11 debutants, fans being able to attend and then not attend, personal tragedies and traumas, growth in the second half [of the season].

“Although the first half of the year was disappointing, it gave us great opportunity to play our first, second and third-year players in some key roles to gain valuable experience and on the job training.

“We could see the building blocks were there, but we were a fair way off from meeting the standards the coaches and the players needed to. No one was under any illusions there was serious work ahead.”

That serious work was undertaken, and while the win against Hawthorn in Round 9 was emotional, and the win against Carlton was clinical, no game this season quite sums up North and Noble’s brand of football quite like that victory in the West.

Eventually overcoming the Eagles by just ten points, Noble says that performance is the benchmark for his side as it moves into the future.

“Being in front at three quarter time, we had momentum and controlled large portions of the game, but we knew the Eagles would come,” he said.

“The last quarter was full of belief and grit as we wrestled the lead back from the Eagles and secured a momentous win for our footy club.

“That performance embodies our spirit and values as a club, and our trademark as a playing group. That’s where we need to go week in, week out.

“To the players’ credit [they’ve] embraced the consistency of our message and appreciated the simplicity and discipline of our game plan.

“[We] asked the players to own it and drive it, which they did … the culmination of these improvements was that game against West Coast.”

Now though, Noble and his group must take the learnings from a season like no other, and implement them, as the Kangaroos look to begin a hopeful surge up the table in 2022 and beyond.

According to Noble, the wheels are already in motion for a strong off-season and pre-season.

“We’re already looking at our next steps and we’ve made some exciting off-field appointments, with some more news to come in the coming weeks,” he said.

“Rest assured, the meticulous planning and vision for what we want for our football club is at the forefront of our thinking on a daily basis.

“From where we started in laying the foundations of a new era this year, it has created opportunities for more growth, learning, fun and success.

“My message for 2022 is simple. Let’s build … I can’t wait.”