January
It was a new year and a change of scenery for the North Melbourne team as they took advantage of the club's new state-of-the-art Arden Street facilities.
Lindsay Thomas was determined to have his best season yet after a frustrating 2009, while draftee Ryan Bastinac left the field in his wake during the first time trial of 2010.
Brad Scott travelled to the USA - and the “unbelievable” Utah Olympic complex - and couldn't have been happier with the his players when they returned from the Christmas break.
Temperatures of over 40 degrees confronted the players at training, but there was little sympathy from the coaching staff.
Ben Cunnington had a hot spot of his own in his right foot, and it was a lucky find; he avoided possible stress fractures by contacting medical staff soon after experiencing soreness.
Jack Ziebell was on the recovery path from a broken leg and was eyeing a permanent role in the midfield. He quickly formed a strong relationship with new recruit Cunnington, with the pair having played together at Vic Country.
Brent Harvey predicted a much improved year from the young Roos, and a seven-day high performance camp on the Gold Coast was the first stepping stone.
The entire squad visited the Sports Super Centre and right from the start the players were pushed to the limit physically and mentally. There was a big focus on power and endurance, and humid conditions made it even tougher.
Daniel Wells was in fine form on the track as he returned from a debilitating groin injury; he said he was 'like a wild animal set loose'.
Michael Firrito avoided serious injury to his ankle after copping a knock from a teammate, while David Hale was even luckier when he collided heavily with a fence at Arden Street.
Andrew Swallow was aiming to have more influence in the midfield, and was also increasing his access to the fans through his own Twitter account.
His ‘Follow Swallow' blog was generating plenty of interest too. Supporters were able to follow the team's every move on the Gold Coast with Swallow as their journalist.
February
A trip down the highway to Ballarat gave the players a chance to impress at North Melbourne's first intra-club match.
There was plenty of royal blue and white in the stands and right from the start the competitive spirit among the young players was clear.
The scoreboard was irrelevant, but Cruize Garlett, Robbie Tarrant and Marcus White all signalled their intentions to play senior football in 2010.
Before taking to the field, the players visited schools around the Ballarat area as part of the club's annual community camp.
Champions from eras past joined the current crop of Kangaroos at Arden Street for a memorable night, while Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting made a surprise visit just days after hitting a ton against the West Indies.
Nathan Grima was sidelined with a broken finger, and Nathan O'Keefe by a bout of glandular fever, but Ben Cunnington returned to the track with a round-one debut in his sights.
The family and community day was another huge success with thousands turning out to meet their heroes, while Brad Scott’s introduction of twilight training sessions proved popular.
Liam Anthony was a revelation in 2009, but expected more opposition attention in his second season. Assistant coach Darren Crocker hoped for more excitement from the young midfielder.
The NAB Cup opener brought Tarrant’s first game and it was a dream start for North and Scott with a win over premier Geelong.
Ben Warren, Drew Petrie and Jack Ziebell were among the best, while Anthony racked up 38 touches.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou toured the club's new facilities and was “shocked” by North's achievements.
March
Leigh Harding called for changes to the North Melbourne line-up despite its exciting win over Geelong and it was Ryan Bastinac and Marcus White who got their chance against Fremantle.
White reflected on his first official game as a moment he'll never forget, while Bastinac burst onto the scene with 14 possessions in the Kangaroos' last-gasp loss.
With its NAB Cup campaign over, it was back to Ballarat and another testing challenge came against Hawthorn.
Daniel Wells made his return and booted three goals in a half, and a big crowd saw the boys from Arden Street defeat another contender.
Brady Rawlings thanked the injection of youth for invigorating the team's more experienced players, and assistant coach Brett Allison agreed.
James Brayshaw led the call for members to be part of a ‘new game, new era’ in 2010, as did Brent Harvey who sought inspiration from a US president for his address to supporters.
It was a history lesson for North as it travelled to Narrandera for another NAB Challenge match. The Kangaroos had last played at the ground in 1986. An up-and-down pre-season campaign continued with a disappointing loss to the Swans, but standout performances from Wells and Bastinac meant there was reason for optimism.
Brad Scott took a giant leap of faith in the name of membership, while Ben Speight took a big step forward in his development as the club's nominated rookie.
It was a severe case of bad luck for Levi Greenwood when he broke his toe in the most unusual way, and Cruize Garlett's pre-season campaign was put on hold by a wrist fracture. Ed Lower was sidelined with a fractured fibula and would miss up to eight weeks.
After a frustrating four months without kicking a ball, Alan Obst pulled on the boots. His patient recovery was mirrored by Nathan Grima and Ben Cunnington, who would forego a weekend off to play their first practice matches ahead of round one.
Harvey's brilliance was recognised once again in Mike Sheehan's annual top 50, and while there were no doubts over his selection in the North team, coach Scott faced a tough predicament ahead of the clash against Port Adelaide. He would opt for a mix of youth and experience.
Bastinac was named and had no troubles stepping up to the highest level, while Harvey and Rawlings went agonisingly close to helping their team over the line. Scott pointed to a failure to adapt to a new game plan as North fell by 14 points.
