It wasn’t so long ago that November was a 'down' month in footy but in 2023 it's such a busy and exciting time for the North Melbourne community. 

Firstly, our amazing AFLW team is about to embark on a fifth consecutive finals campaign. 

The team delivered on our aim of a top-four placing at the end of the home and away season, and we now take on Melbourne at Ikon Park on Sunday afternoon.

What's incredibly obvious with this team is just how connected the players, coaches and staff are in building towards the ultimate goal.

So to coach Darren Crocker, skipper Emma Kearney, and the entire program, we wish you well this week and beyond.

Staying with AFLW for a moment, we should highlight the extraordinary achievement of Jasmine Garner to claim her third AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award.

We didn't need external affirmation that 'Jammin' is the best player in the game – we knew that already. But I’m sure it’s nice for her to hear it from someone other than me and her fiercely proud brother Kane. 

Well done Jasmine – we're so glad you're a Roo!

Turning to our AFL program, Brady Rawlings and the entire list management team have worked incredibly hard alongside Alastair Clarkson and Todd Viney in building a recruiting strategy geared around our premiership model all season. 

That strategy informed the talent acquisition approach which netted us Zac Fisher, Dylan Stephens, Bigoa Nyuon and Toby Pink during the trade and free agency period last month. 

And it doesn't end there. 

On November 20, we'll take five first-round selections into the AFL National Draft to add further weight to our existing raft of recent early draft talent.

Of those five picks, we’ll start with two of the first three selections. 

So the message to Brady is very loud and very clear – you got us Harry and George last year, and we'd like another couple of those, please.

In terms of our coaching team, we've seen some more change since I last wrote to you.

As well as saying goodbye to Brett Ratten, we bid farewell and say thanks to Gavin Brown, John Blakey and Jordan Russell. We thank Gav and Blakes in particular – they've been long-time North Melbourne people and we wish them both well in the next stage of their journeys.

Speaking of long-time North Melbourne people, we also farewelled Jack Ziebell, who finished up in his AFLW coaching role to take up a full-time coaching role in Richmond’s AFL program.

We welcome fresh faces Xavier Clarke, Jed Adcock, Michael Barlow and Adam Marcon to the coaching panel, while Jarrod Lienert will step up from a part-time role with our VFL program to a full-time position in the development team. 

With Clarko refreshed and back in the seat, we’re looking forward to a big pre-season full of energy and optimism for what lies ahead.

You may have read the news on the club website recently that Arden Street Oval will be resurfaced over the summer months.

Football has come a long way in recent years, and the ground now houses our four football programs across 12 months of the year. It's been 10 years since its last resurfacing and to put it simply, it's tired.

To ensure our AFLW program has full access to the oval across the finals series and there are minimal disruptions to the men's pre-season program, works will begin in the first week of December, with the project due for completion at the end of January. 

This means our men's football program will train at La Trobe University's first-class training facilities in Bundoora during that time. 

What's great about our club is how accessible our players and coaches are to our members and fans. And I can assure you, you will still have the opportunity to watch the team train while based at Bundoora. Training times will be advertised on the club website – I hope to catch you down there.

I'm also pleased to let you all know the club is on track to record another profit this year. This will mark the club's 12th consecutive profit and 16th such result in the past 17 years.

Teamed with another record membership tally of 51,084 in 2023, the club is in a strong position off-field.

Finally, and you’ll have to stay with me on this one, I’d like to pass on a personal note of thanks to John Latham, who will wind up his role after 10 years of service to the club at our last AFLW match.

Who is John Latham, you ask.

Before you read on, viewer discretion for our younger audience is advised. 

John has played the role of Kanga at club events and home matches since 2014. Actually, John didn't just play the role of Kanga. He moon-walked as Kanga. He posed for photos as Kanga. He made a lot of kids happy as Kanga. 

And why does he get a mention here? Because I went to school with him way back in … well a long time ago. And in a previous life as an employee at the club, I hired him to entertain our next generation of fans. 

So when you come to our AFLW finals match, please say hello and get your kids to pose for a photo with this version of Kanga while you can.

Like Kanga (and John), I’ll see you all on Sunday.

Go Roos!

Sonja