North Melbourne’s form coming out of the bye has been nothing short of impressive, with the side achieving everything it could hope for, apart from an elusive win.
With the successful returns of Robbie Tarrant and Luke McDonald ticked off, along with competitive showings against two strong sides vying for finals, the mood is high at Arden Street.
Arguably the most impressive part of North’s past two games has been the form of forward pair Cam Zurhaar and Nick Larkey, with the two combining for 9 of North’s 20 goals across the clashes.
After struggling at times in the season as the primary forward option, Larkey is blossoming into a dangerous key forward thanks to his strong hands and unwavering set shot accuracy.
David Noble says the pair’s improvement is no coincidence, due to the hard work they put in on the training track.
“Larkey and Zurhaar’s form has come along really well … he’s (Larkey) one of our hardest workers internally, he and Cam Zurhaar in particular give us great options to go to with their ability to read the ball,” Noble said.
“We’re probably getting some better ball movement for them, they’re able to be a bit more consistent with where and how they bring the ball in so that’s probably giving them a little bit more certainty.
“He’s (Larkey) been able to put some goals through so we’ve been really pleased with what he’s done … you get those outcomes as a result of the previous six or seven weeks-worth of work.”
Often teams who aren’t quite getting the final result can go into its shell, stop challenging and the frustration becomes palpable, but not at North Melbourne.
The development seen not just across the season, but even since the bye is cause for optimism and respect within the walls of the club.
Noble says the re-iteration of the club’s direction is important, and that everyone is moving towards a common goal as one.
“We’re moving forward, there’s no doubt. If you look at our last couple of weeks probably six out of our eight quarters are in the direction we want to take. I think our fans can really see that direction we’re taking,” he said.
“I think if you came to our place and you walked through the front door you’d certainly feel the energy and the bubble we know we’re building.
“Yes, it is frustrating we’re not able to put a win on the board today, and we missed one last week, but we’re really clear on where we’re going.
“We’re definitely building to something we want to aspire to and we’re chasing that pretty hard. Just for our fans behind the scenes, not only from a physical sense but from an educational perspective, they’re doing really well.”
It’s no secret North plays well in Tasmania, with arguably its best performances of the season coming in the Apple Isle.
The victory against Hawthorn in Launceston, the draw with GWS and the competitive showings against top four sides Melbourne and Brisbane immediately spring to mind.
“We’re really feeling for our Melbourne based crew, our membership is continuing to push towards record for us which has been fantastic,” Noble added.
“The support we have from all our Kangaroo fans across the board is great, but we’re particularly looking forward to getting them to a game soon.
“At the same time, we love coming down here and playing.”
