After 194 games’ experience as a defender at both the Demons and Cats, Jared Rivers is keen to impart his knowledge on North Melbourne’s emerging backs. 

The former Collingwood VFL coach joined the Roos’ coaching panel in September, in the role of defensive coach, and is encouraging some emerging youngsters to take the next step.

“I’ve been passionate about looking after a line group,” Rivers told North Media.

“Being that I played as a defender for the majority of my career, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity here at North.

“There’s going to be a lot of opportunity throughout the year for those key backs, with Sam Durdin, Ben McKay … those guys have a great opportunity with Scotty Thompson leaving.”

Rivers said coaching a team in his own right would hold him in good stead.

“You get to know the players and structures and how to communicate with staff and players,” he explained.

“It gives you a really good look as to how a footy club is run and that connection and people management is a really big thing.”

The choice to coach alongside Rhyce Shaw, an easy one.

“When hearing Rhyce speak in the back half of the year, he clearly had a direction he wanted to take at North; a simple direction, but something I looked at as pretty powerful,” Rivers explained.

“It’s always interesting to see how a team plays when a new coach comes in, but clearly you could tell with Rhyce’s direction they (the players) just wanted to compete really hard, do the basics really well and their contest around the footy was really strong.

“You could see his connection with the playing group was really high, and I feel that’s one of my strengths as well.

“It’s (connection) a big part of footy these days, and I feel like the whole coaching group and myself has got a really good balance between that with the players and coaches. Rhyce is really big on it, and the whole coaching group complements each other with that.”

Watch the full Jared Rivers interview above.