After its impressive win against Carlton on the weekend, North Melbourne is finally getting some well-deserved credit within media circles.

Defeating the Blues by 39 points, much of the praise coming out of the game has been reserved for Nick Larkey, after the young forward booted a career-high 7 goals.

AFL360

“This has been building for a little while, but all the more meritorious because no one has been able to get hold of Jacob Weitering this year, and the bulk of his work was done there, so much so that Weitering went forward in the last quarter. Seven goals in his (Larkey's) 47th game, but I think we’ve known it’s been coming. He’s had an eight-week block where he’s kicked 23 goals, but he’s a picture of all of North Melbourne at the moment.” - Gerard Whateley

“He’s a different type of key forward and I suspect that’s why Weitering had problems with him. He’s deceptive in the way he moves and he doesn’t play like a big bodied key forward, he tends to be a more mobile type.” - Jason Dunstall

On The Couch

“He was fantastic. I was really impressed being at the ground because he reads the ball well and he reacts quickly. He’s not the greatest athlete, he’s certainly not a Buddy Franklin but he reacts quickly up the field.” - Jonathan Brown

Herald Sun

"Larkey’s seven goals against Carlton took him to an astonishingly accurate 34.11 for the season. He was taken at pick 73 in the 2016 national draft, proving yet again there are diamonds to be mined late in drafts. Players taken beyond 50 in 2016 include Elliott Himmelberg (pick 51), Josh Daicos (57, father-son), Quinton Narkle (60), Tom Williamson (61), Luke Ryan (66), Larkey (73), Harry Morrison (74) and Mitch Lewis (76)." - Jon Ralph

SEN

"Nick Larkey got exactly what he deserved. In the six or seven weeks leading in he had kicked two or three (goals) bar the one game against the Western Bulldogs, where he was goalless. This has been coming for Nick Larkey. Nick Larkey’s never going to be a power forward, but he knows how to play full forward, he knows what he’s doing. With a bit of a good ball coming in and a developing midfield and a bit more confidence, Nick Larkey’s going to kick lots of goals." - Andy Maher

North’s midfield leaders stood up throughout the clash, with the likes of Jy Simpkin, Jaidyn Stephenson and Ben Cunnington amongst the team's best on the day, as well as emerging star Luke Davies-Uniacke. 

On The Couch

“[Stephenson] was best on ground a couple of weeks ago against West Coast, was a little bit quieter last week and was fantastic again on the weekend. They’re well-lead by Ben Cunnington. Ben Cunnington would be a top 10 player in the AFL, he’s an absolute gun. We talk about his clearance game, but he’s so silky with the ball as well. With Goldstein and Cunnington in there, those young blokes have got some really good leaders, and they’ve got class.” - Jonathan Brown

“Todd Goldstein has been a fantastic warrior and competitor for a long time so he always gives you a chance, Todd, and then you’ve got some very talented kids underneath him.” - Garry Lyon

“Jy Simpkin had a big role on the weekend and he did it magnificently. There’s been a big improvement from ‘LDU’ (Luke Davies-Uniacke) whose 15 possessions have now gone to 25 to 30.” - Gerard Healy

SEN

"He (Davies-Uniacke) has arrived. He’s officially arrived. Luke Davies-Uniacke is here. The next seven or eight years – get ready – he’s going to be a very good player." - Andy Maher

However, it’s the speed and efficiency with which North’s rebuild is currently improving that has garnered the most praise, with the side’s improvement since the bye placing it amongst the top teams in the competition.

3AW

“I just think their young talent and what I saw yesterday looks better than what Carlton’s got. They’ve got Davies-Uniacke who’s starting to go well, (Bailey) Scott was really good yesterday, Simpkin is turning into a star at clearance work, Larkey kicked seven, Stephenson’s still young and looks like he can be the player that was the rising star. Tarryn Thomas, how classy is he, (Curtis) Taylor looks good, (Will) Phillips looks good, Ben McKay looks good down back, and (Cam) Zurhaar as well, and they’re all still very young.” - Matthew Richardson

On The Couch

“Since Round 12 the Kangaroos are just outside the top eight. That’s encouraging, that’s linear growth, that’s young kids we’ve seen who are going to get better with games played. It changes quickly, you get a plan, you buy into a plan. You talk about a kid they took at pick three in the draft (Will Phillips) who you looked at early in the piece and thought you have to be patient with these young fellas. With Max King and the big fellas you see one or two things and you think 'yeah he’s going to be there'. I saw a bit on the weekend about Phillips that I loved.” - Garry Lyon

AFL360

“This six or eight weeks has illuminated the future. They were grim times early but now there’s every reason to be excited about what the long-term build looks like.” - Gerard Whateley 

SEN

"What they're doing is really, really positive. There was a time there where they weren't winning games, but they were staying in games longer per quarter, and they were winning a quarter, then they were winning a half, then three quarters. They've been able to implement that as the game and the season has progressed, and they are getting better and better. They are now infinitely harder to play against than they were at the start of the season. What they've done is experimented with their players, they've found out 'OK, this bloke is best suited to play here. Stephenson's playing a really important role and their midfield is starting to come together as well." - Tim Watson