North Melbourne chairman Ben Buckley says that the pursuit of premiership success was the catalyst for the changing of leadership positions in 2019. 

“We have not played in a grand final since 1999 and not won a premiership since 1999 while we have had some moderate success in between we are an ambitious club,” Buckley told The Age. 

“From time to time you review what you are doing and look at other ways to do things. We have made significant changes. We have a fresh new group of leaders with a new energy and optimism.”

Since May, the Roos have seen four of their most senior leaders replaced, with the roles of senior coach, head of football, list manager and chief executive. 

“We didn’t set out at the start of the year to make that level of change but as the year unfolded change occurred. We think the changes will set us in the right direction,” Bukley said.

“Some of the changes were organic and some happened as the year evolved. They happened naturally as the year unfolded.

“I don’t think we had necessarily had any specific expectations about the level of change but with a new coach and a new football manager ultimately there was going to be change and significant change. Change comes with having a fresh group of leaders.” 

Rhyce Shaw (senior coach), Brady Rawlings (head of football), Glenn Luff (list manager) and Ben Amarfio (chief executive) enter their roles without previous experience, but this is far from an area of concern for Buckley.

“I am not troubled by it. I think when you put a group of new leaders together and ones that may not have done the job previously they often are not constrained by previous thinking,” Buckley said. 

“Each one of those people has been part of very successful systems and organisations: Rhyce Shaw came from the Sydney Swans, who are in the top handful of clubs in the last 15 years; Brady Rawlings came out of the West Coast system; and Ben (Amarfio) has an incredible depth of organisation and commercial skills.''