It’s a little different when CEO publicly voicing concerns (which was warranted mind you IMO) vs a coach giving spray behind closed doors though
In saying that must have been one hell of a spray!
AFL 2022: Mark Robinson says Kangaroos coach David Noble has problems after players questioned game plan | Herald Sun
So, North Melbourne players didn’t like it when David Noble unloaded on them.
Gut feel says harden buttercup, seeing as Noble’s team lost by 100-plus points to Brisbane in round 3.
A loss Noble labelled embarrassing.
Clearly there was much more venom in his words behind closed doors.
Maybe it was a smart move to apologise so early in his coaching career.
Maybe he did it to calm troubled waters.
Maybe he did it and then stored in the back of the mind which players didn’t like the strong feedback.
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David Noble has apparently dumbed down his game style after it was questioned by the players.
Noble is old-school. He talks old-school. He talks about the contest and intent and application from players and as the club sets about building a list, his mantra has been to instil a competitive edge.
He has said to people that he will drive standards, and that if players can’t keep up, then he will leave them behind.
It used to be called tough love. Now, it might be considered workplace bullying. The world has changed.
Most Kangaroos fans would probably support Noble.
The best teams are tough and uncompromising.
Jack Ziebell leads the Kangaroos from the field after being thrashed by Fremantle at Perth Stadium in round 8. North Melbourne sits 1-7 for the season.
At Melbourne, coach Simon Goodwin talks about the contest every week. Without fail.
His team started building towards it under Paul Roos five years ago and, in 2021, it came to fruition.
Put it this way, would North Melbourne players and seemingly some concerned football staff, force Roosy to apologise because of competitive feedback?
It helps when you’ve won a flag.
Noble, a long-time football coach and administrator, was appointed at the same time North Melbourne embarked on a deep clean-out.
Most Kangaroos fans would probably support Noble’s hard line approach.
It was a major re-set after the departures of former coaches Brad Scott and Rhyce Shaw.
Noble straight away tried set standards, which he hopes will hold the players and club in better stead five years from now.
You know, kill a couple to teach a generation.
The nasty words, his tone and body language might not prove to be the biggest issues, although new-age thinking would have you believe kisses and hugs get a better result than finger-pointing and hard conversations.
No, the fear now is the players — and the results cannot be discounted here — have usurped the power of the coach.
Not because of the stinging sprays, but because they questioned his game plan.
Now, Noble has apparently dumbed down his game style.
So, the players don’t like hard conversations nor do they like complicated instructions.
Either North Melbourne chose the wrong coach or the players are not capable.
At round 8 into his second season, Noble has a mess in front of him.