In his debut season in the AFL, Nick Dal Santo’s St Kilda finished 15th on the ladder. Seven years later the Saints were playing in a Grand Final … and then again just two years after that.

If anyone knows what a successful rebuild looks like, it’s the 300-gamer.

The classy midfielder also rounded out his successful career with three quality seasons at Arden Street, so he knows what’s so special about North Melbourne.

With those two experiences combined, Dal Santo is in a unique and wonderful position to assess the Roos’ season so far, and after the win against West Coast, the former All-Australian likes what he sees.

“The win out west was a glimpse of what’s to come at Arden Street, a peek into the future. With time, those flashes will build into an easily identifiable and sustainable brand” Dal Santo told the Fox Sports website.

“Once these kids gel together, learn each other’s quirks and habits, watch their collective development accelerate.

“The Kangaroos know where they’re at. A premiership is not in the near future, but the near future is bright.”

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is team chemistry and understanding.

In the heat of the battle that is the AFL arena, it takes time to learn habits and game plans, to stop being reactive and start being proactive.

Having played with a number of players who are still on North’s list during his time at the club, Dal Santo says its obvious that the team is coming together nicely under David Noble.

“When I first arrived at the Roos, it took months before I truly got in sync with my new midfield brigade,” he said.

“It needs to be muscle memory, because in the modern game those split seconds are the difference between you streaming from a stoppage inside 50 or making the mad dash into defence because the ball was turned over.

“As the players get more familiar with each other – and the team’s brand – under the stresses of gameday, there is an opportunity to really get a head start on 2022.

“It cannot be underestimated the momentum that can be built from here.

“To see the flashes of chemistry, the moments where you can see the gameplan coach Noble is building, those are the real victories.”