North Melbourne Football Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids North Melbourne Football Club
Names
Full name	North Melbourne Football Club
Former name(s)	Hotham Football Club (1877–1887) Kangaroos Football Club (1999–2007)
Nickname(s)	Kangaroos, Kangas, Roos, North, Shinboners
Motto	Victoria Amat Curam (Victory Demands Dedication)
2023 season
Home-and-away season	17th
Leading goalkicker	Nick Larkey (71 goals)
Syd Barker Medal	Harry Sheezel
Club details
Founded	1869; 156 years ago (1869)
Colours	Royal Blue      White
Competition	AFL: Senior men AFLW: Senior women VFL: Reserves men VFLW: Reserves women
Coach	AFL: Alastair Clarkson (Senior Coach) AFLW: Darren Crocker VFL: Leigh Adams VFLW: Brett Gourley
Captain(s)	AFL: Luke McDonald and Jy Simpkin AFLW: Emma Kearney VFL: Flynn Appleby VFLW: Jess Jones/Sarah King
Premierships	VFL/AFL (4) 1975 1977 1996 1999 Reserves/VFL (7) 1947 1957 1967 1978 1979 1995 1996 VFL/AFL Under 19 (7) 1946 1976 1984 1987 1988 1990 1991 VFA (6) 1903 1904 1910 1914 1915 1918 VFLW (1) 2024
Ground(s)	AFL: Marvel Stadium (56,347) Ninja Stadium (19,500) Hands Oval (15,000) & Optus Stadium (61,266) AFLW/VFL/VFLW: Arden Street Oval (4,000)
Former ground(s)	MCG (1984–2005) Arden Street Oval (1966–1985) Coburg City Oval (1965) Arden Street Oval (1925–1964)
Training ground(s)	Arden Street
Uniforms
Home Away Clash
Other information
Official website	nmfc.com.au

The North Melbourne Football Club, also known as the Kangaroos or Roos, is a professional Australian rules football club. Their men's team plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), and their women's team plays in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also have men's and women's reserve teams in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and VFLW.

The club started in North Melbourne in 1869. It is the 4th oldest club in the competition and one of the oldest sports clubs in the world! Their original home, the Arden Street Oval, is still used today for training and for the women's team's home games. The men's team plays most of its home games at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. They also play some games in Hobart, Tasmania, which is also a secondary home ground for the women's team.

The club's mascot is a grey kangaroo wearing the team uniform. This mascot has been used since the mid-1900s. The club is also sometimes called "The Shinboners." This nickname comes from the 1800s when many players worked in meat factories. The club's motto is victoria amat curam, which is Latin for "victory demands dedication."

North Melbourne has won four major championships: in 1975, 1977, 1996, and 1999.

Club History

Early Years

No one knows the exact date the club started. Some think it might have been as early as 1864. A newspaper article from 1865 mentions a game involving "North Melbourne." However, the club became more widely known from 1869.

Many believe the club was started in North Melbourne in 1869 by local cricketers. They wanted to stay fit during the winter. The club was first called the North Melbourne Football Club. Later, it was known as the Hotham Football Club, before changing back to North Melbourne. The club's blue and white colours might come from the St Mary's Church of England Cricket Club, which shared some players. The first known match was played in Royal Park. James Henry Gardiner is often called a founder because he worked hard to support the club.

One of the first newspaper mentions was on August 14, 1869. The club was set to play a match at Princes Bridge. The article said they had already played one game. Harry Fuhrhop, a key figure, captained the team in the 1870s. Other early games were against Carlton United and East Brunswick in 1870.

Royal Park was the club's home ground until 1882.

Regular Australian Football matches began in Victoria in 1870. North Melbourne was a "junior club" at first. This meant they were respected but not yet a top team. They didn't often play against the biggest clubs like Melbourne or Carlton.

The club grew and became a "senior club" in 1874, finishing 4th. They also started wearing their first uniform: blue and white horizontal stripes.

In 1876, North Melbourne stopped playing for a short time. Many players joined the Albert Park Football Club. In 1877, the club restarted as the Hotham Football Club and moved to the Hotham Cricket Ground, now known as Arden Street Oval.

Association Years

Football changed a lot in 1877 with the creation of Victoria's first league, the VFA. Hotham helped start this league and got a spot because of their past efforts in Australian Football.

The 1880s saw the club become more like the North Melbourne we know today. In 1882, the club joined with the Hotham Cricket Club. They moved into the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve (Arden St Oval), which is still the club's home today. Four years later, the VFA asked them to change their uniform to blue and white vertical stripes. This was to make them look different from Geelong's team. In 1888, the club went back to its original name, the North Melbourne Football Club, as the local area also changed its name back to North Melbourne.

In the 1880s, the club started traveling to play games in other states like Tasmania (1881/1887) and South Australia (1889). Four players from Hotham were also chosen to play for Victoria in the first ever inter-colonial game in 1879.

Joining the VFL

In the 1890s, the VFA had 13 senior clubs. The biggest clubs, like Geelong and Essendon, decided to form their own league, the Victorian Football League (VFL), in 1896. North Melbourne was not invited to join, even though they finished 6th in 1896. Some reasons for this were:

• North had not won a championship yet.
• The local area's factories meant less money for the club.
• Fans had a reputation for causing trouble.
• There was bad feeling between Collingwood and North.
• Essendon felt North Melbourne was too close to them.
• A court case against the North Melbourne Cricket Club hurt the Football Club's standing.

North continued to play in the VFA and became a very strong team. They finished 2nd in 1897, 1898, and 1899. In 1903, after 34 years, the club won its first championship, beating Richmond. They won again in 1904 when Richmond didn't play the final due to a disagreement about an umpire.

North joined with another VFA club, West Melbourne, in 1907. They hoped this would help them join the VFL. They applied in 1908, but Richmond and University were chosen instead. North was then kicked out of the VFA for trying to join the VFL. However, the local community quickly restarted the North Melbourne Football Club, and they were allowed to play in the VFA again in 1908.

"The Invincibles"

After restarting, the team had many new players. In 1910, some famous players from Carlton joined North Melbourne. This helped them win their third championship in 1910.

The 1912 finals were exciting. North and Brunswick drew twice in the semi-final, so they had to play three times! North won and went to the final but lost by only four points.

The next few years were known as "The Invincibles" era. North Melbourne was undefeated from 1914 to 1919. They won championships in 1914, 1915, and 1918 (the competition stopped in 1916 and 1917 because of World War I). They also won the championship for finishing top of the ladder in 1915 and 1918. During this time, the club won 58 games in a row, including 49 championship matches. This is a record that no other team has beaten since!

Even after being rejected twice, North kept trying to join the VFL. On June 30, 1921, North told its players it would break up and try to join the VFL in a different way. The Essendon League Football Club needed a new ground and wanted to use the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve. North agreed, hoping the clubs would join together. However, some VFA members stopped this with a legal challenge. So, the Essendon League Club moved to Essendon Oval instead.

North Melbourne now had no team, and the Essendon Association Club had no ground. So, the two clubs joined together to play in the 1922 season. This saved North from disappearing again. During this time, North's main rivals were Footscray.

Entering the VFL

Finally, after three tries and 29 years, North Melbourne was allowed to join the VFL in 1925. Footscray and Hawthorn also joined. It was a close call, and North Melbourne was "the lucky side" to be chosen. North Melbourne had to change its uniform to avoid clashing with other teams in the VFL.

North Melbourne struggled for its first 25 years in the VFL. One good moment was Sel Murray winning the VFL Leading Goalkicker Medal in 1941 with 88 goals. By the late 1940s, North Melbourne had a strong team and many supporters. In 1949, North finished top of the ladder but didn't make the Grand Final. In 1950, they reached the Grand Final but lost to Essendon. This was also the year the club started using the "Kangaroos" mascot.

In 1965, North Melbourne moved its training and playing base from Arden Street Oval to Coburg Oval. They planned to merge with the Coburg Football Club, but this never fully happened. The move to Coburg only lasted eight months. North Melbourne returned to Arden Street Oval in September 1965.

The 1950s and 1960s were not very successful years for North Melbourne on the field. However, they did win two Night Premierships in 1965 and 1966. Allen Aylett and Noel Teasdale were brilliant players during this time.

Golden Era

In the late 1960s, under Allen Aylett's leadership, North Melbourne started to become a top team. They recruited several big stars like Barry Davis, Doug Wade, John Rantall, and Barry Cable. In 1973, the famous Ron Barassi became coach. Barassi turned the team around, leading them from struggling to a golden age of success. North Melbourne became one of the VFL's powerhouses. Barassi led North to the Grand Final in 1974 (they lost) and then to championships in 1975 and 1977. North played in five Grand Finals in a row from 1974 to 1978. They also won the 1975 national championship, becoming Champions of Australia.

1975 VFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Hawthorn	9	13	67
North Melbourne	19	8	122
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 110,551

In 1973 and 1974, North's wingman Keith Greig won two Brownlow Medals in a row. Forward Malcolm Blight won the award in 1978. Doug Wade won the Coleman Medal in 1974 with 103 goals.

1977 VFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
North Melbourne	21	25	151
Collingwood	19	10	124
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 98,491

Barassi coached until 1980. North then had another period of decline. However, Malcolm Blight kicked 103 goals in 1982, and Ross Glendinning won the Brownlow Medal in 1983. That year, North Melbourne finished top of the ladder but didn't make the Grand Final.

Team of the 1990s

The 1980s and early 1990s were tough years for the Kangaroos, even with the coaching of John Kennedy. But the club was rebuilding. The Krakouer brothers, Jim and Phil, brought excitement to the team. The club also started playing night games, which was a new idea. A big moment was signing forward John Longmire in 1989. He was the club's top goalkicker for five years and won the Coleman medal in 1990 with 98 goals. In 1993, Denis Pagan became coach. North reached the finals that year for the first time in almost ten years.

Pagan made young Wayne Carey the club's youngest captain. Carey became known as 'the King' and was seen as the best player in the league for the next nine seasons.

1996 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
North Melbourne	19	17	131
Sydney Swans	13	10	88
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 93,102

1995 AFL Ansett Australia Cup Final	G	B	Total
North Melbourne	14	9	93
Adelaide	8	15	63
Venue: Waverley Park	Crowd: 49,393

North Melbourne was a very strong team in the 1990s under Pagan and Carey. They finished in the top four from 1994 to 2000. After losing in the preliminary finals in 1994 and 1995, North beat the Sydney Swans in the 1996 Grand Final. This was the club's third championship. Glenn Archer won the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground. They lost in the preliminary final in 1997. In 1998, the club won the pre-season Ansett Cup and finished top of the ladder. But they lost the 1998 Grand Final to Adelaide. In 1999, the Kangaroos finished second and beat Carlton in the Grand Final, winning their fourth championship. Shannon Grant won the Norm Smith Medal. In 2000, they lost in the preliminary finals to Melbourne.

1999 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Kangaroos	19	10	124
Carlton	12	17	89
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 94,228

1998 AFL Ansett Australia Cup Final	G	B	Total
North Melbourne	14	13	97
St Kilda	12	11	83
Venue: Waverley Park	Crowd: 63,898

In 1996, the club almost merged with the Fitzroy Football Club. However, Fitzroy ended up merging with the Brisbane Bears instead.

To try and get more fans and money, the club officially dropped "North Melbourne" from its logo in 1999. For a while, the team was just called "The Kangaroos." They even played home games in Sydney to try and become a second team there, but it didn't work very well. In 2007, they changed back to "North Melbourne."

21st Century

North's success didn't continue into the 21st century. The club faced financial challenges. Also, three important people from the 1990s left the club: CEO Greg Miller, captain Wayne Carey (who left before the 2002 season), and coach Denis Pagan (who moved to Carlton in 2002). Dani Laidley, a player from the 1996 championship team, became the new coach.

After the 2002 season, some players were caught in the 2002 Bali bombings terrorist attack. Jason McCartney was badly burned while helping others. In an amazing comeback story, McCartney returned to play one game in June 2003. He kicked a goal and helped set up the winning goal. He retired right after the game. He wore numbers "88" and "202" on his jersey to remember the victims of the bombings.

The club reached the elimination finals in 2002 and 2004. After reaching a preliminary final in 2007, North Melbourne dropped to 13th in 2009. Coach Dani Laidley resigned, and Brad Scott took over. A big upgrade of the Arden Street Oval was finished in 2009, giving the club excellent training facilities.

Brad Scott Era

North Melbourne struggled in Brad Scott's first two years, finishing 9th in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, the club returned to the finals but lost badly to the West Coast Eagles. In 2012, the club started playing two games each year in Hobart, Tasmania. The club finished 10th in 2013, with many close losses. Nick Dal Santo joined the club at the end of 2013.

In 2014, North Melbourne finished 6th and had over 40,000 members for the first time. In the finals, North Melbourne beat Essendon and Geelong to reach their first preliminary final since 2007. However, they lost to Sydney. In 2015, the club made history by being the first team to reach a preliminary final from 8th place, but they lost to the West Coast Eagles. In 2016, North Melbourne had its best start to a season ever, winning its first nine matches. They also reached over 45,000 members. The 2016 team was the oldest in AFL history. However, they struggled in the second half of the season. In mid-2019, Brad Scott decided to leave the club after 10 years.

Recent Coaches

Rhyce Shaw became the caretaker coach in mid-2019 and then the head coach for the 2020 season. After a tough 2020 season, Shaw left the club in late 2020 due to personal reasons.

In 2021, David Noble was appointed as the new senior coach. Noble led the club to the wooden spoon (last place) in 2021. He resigned in mid-2022 due to the team's poor start to the season.

On August 19, 2022, North Melbourne signed Alastair Clarkson to coach the team for five seasons, starting in 2023.

Clarkson stepped down as coach for part of the 2023 season due to personal health reasons. He returned towards the end of the season.

Club Symbols and Identity

Name and Mascot

The club was known as the "Shinboners" for much of its early history. This nickname likely came from the local meat factories where many players worked. In 1954, club president Phonse Tobin decided to adopt the kangaroo as the club's emblem. He wanted a mascot that represented Australia and that the club could be proud of.

The official name is North Melbourne, but the club has used other names. It started as the "North Melbourne Football Club." After a merger in 1876, it was "North Melbourne cum Albert Park." In 1877, it became the "Hotham Football Club," then returned to "North Melbourne" in 1888. In 1998, they tried to change the name to "Northern Kangaroos," but the AFL said no. From 1999 to 2007, the club was simply called "The Kangaroos" to try and gain national appeal. This was changed back to "North Melbourne" at the end of 2007.

Club Song

"Join in the Chorus" is the official song of the North Melbourne Football Club. It uses the tune of an old Scottish folk song called "A Wee Deoch an Doris."

The team sings the song after a victory, and it's played before every match.

"Join in the Chorus" is thought to be the oldest club song of any AFL club. It has been linked to North since its early VFA days. Parts of the song come from an old musical from the 1890s. The chorus was taken from a song by Scottish musician Harry Lauder. The version used by the club today was recorded in 1972 and only includes the choruses.

The lyrics have changed sometimes, like updating the year in the song. For the 2015 season, singer Tim Rogers, a North Melbourne fan, helped create an updated version with the two verses. This version is played at North home games when the team runs onto the field.

"Shinboner Spirit"

North Melbourne has a strong history as a working-class club from the inner city. Because North Melbourne was a less wealthy area in the past, the team has always been one of the smaller clubs. They relied on the teamwork and determination of their players and members to succeed.

'Shinboner spirit' means fighting against challenges and not asking for special favours. North fans like to compare this to richer clubs like Essendon and Carlton, who often had more money and could pay players more in the past. The term is still used today, even though the club's official nickname changed to the Kangaroos in the 1950s.

The "Shinboner spirit" is linked to the club's entire history. In 2005, to celebrate 80 years in the VFL and 30 years since their first championship, the Kangaroos held a "Shinboner Spirit" event. Glenn Archer was named the "Shinboner of the Century" as the player who best showed this spirit.

Guernsey (Uniform)

The North Melbourne Football Club has a long history of wearing different designs in royal blue and white.

In their early years, the club wore a hooped design. This changed in 1884 when the VFA asked them to use vertical stripes to look different from Geelong.

After 1884, the vertical striped uniform was worn more often.

After merging with West Melbourne in 1908, North used a uniform that included West Melbourne's red sash. This was a temporary gesture and was removed the next season.

In the early 1920s, North tried a design with an "NMFC" monogram.

When they joined the VFL in 1925, North Melbourne had to stop using their blue and white striped uniform because it looked too similar to other clubs. They used a "V" design for several years. Then, in 1932, the club returned to its striped uniform of royal blue and white, which they have used ever since.

For 86 seasons, until 2016, the blue stripes were in the middle, and the uniform had a blue collar and black numbers.

Between 2011 and 2016, North Melbourne wore an inverted (mostly blue with white numbers) version as an alternate uniform. In 2017, this became the home uniform. However, this was changed back in 2022 when the club signed with Puma. The traditional uniform returned, along with hooped socks, which hadn't been part of the home uniform since the 1960s. Black player numbers returned in 2023.

In the 1990s, many AFL clubs started using 'clash' uniforms. North Melbourne introduced the 'Bounding Roo' design. This uniform had a blue chest with thin stripes and a large kangaroo. This design is popular with fans because it reminds them of the club's successful period in the late 1990s. It was used in 2016 to celebrate 20 years since their third championship, and in 2019 for North's 150th anniversary.

Uniform Evolution

Changes in the North Melbourne uniform through the years:

Initial years & VFA:

1874–85

1886–1907

1908

1909

1910,12,14,15

1911,13,18,21

1922–24

VFL/AFL:

1925–1932

1933–1970

1971–1974

1974–2015

2016–2021

2022–

Significant alternate uniforms:

1995–2002, 2016, 2019

Logo

North Melbourne has changed its logo 7 times. Most logos show a kangaroo jumping in front of a shield with blue and white stripes. In 2016, North Melbourne introduced a new logo. It features a fierce-looking kangaroo head above the words 'North Melbourne' inside a shield. This change was generally liked by fans. The kangaroo looks slightly to the right, showing it's looking towards the future.

Home Ground

Arden Street Oval was the Kangaroos' home ground from 1882 to 1985. Today, it's owned by the City of Melbourne. The North Melbourne Football Club leases it for offices, training, and home games for its AFL Women's, VFL, and VFL Women's teams. The old grandstands were removed after VFL/AFL matches stopped being played there.

Since 2000, the club has played its home games at Marvel Stadium. They also play several home games each season in other states. Since 2012, the Kangaroos have played up to four home games per season at Bellerive Oval (also called Ninja Stadium) in Hobart, Tasmania. From 2025, the club will play two home games per season in Western Australia, at Optus Stadium and Hands Oval in Bunbury.

Current Home Grounds

• Docklands Stadium (Marvel Stadium), Docklands, Melbourne
• Bellerive Oval (Ninja Stadium), Bellerive, Hobart
• Hands Oval (JE Hands Memorial Park), South Bunbury, Bunbury
• Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium), Burswood, Perth

Homegrounds	Years
Royal Park	1869–1875
Albert Park	1876
Royal Park	1877–1882
Arden Street Oval	1882–1964
Coburg City Oval	1965
Arden Street Oval	1966–1985
MCG	1985–2005
Docklands Stadium	2002–present
Ninja Stadium	2012–present
Hands Oval	2025-present
Optus Stadium	2025-present

Club Operations

Ownership and Management

The North Melbourne Football Club is a non-profit organization. Its members help run the club and vote for directors at yearly meetings.

The club's board of directors has nine members. Each director serves for three years. This system helps keep the club stable and avoids big internal fights seen at other clubs. The board chooses a chairman to lead the club.

North Melbourne was unique because it was privately owned from 1986 to 2006. Members could buy shares in the club. This helped the club stay financially strong.

In 1991, the Carlton Football Club tried to take over North Melbourne by buying many shares. This attempt failed. Later, the AFL tried to buy out the shareholders to move the club to the Gold Coast, but this was also stopped.

In 2007, a group called We Are North Melbourne (WANM) started a public campaign. They wanted ordinary members to have the final say on whether the club moved. They also wanted control of the club to return to its members.

North Melbourne became a public company again in November 2008. This allowed the board to work without opposition to make the club financially stable.

In 2016, Ben Buckley became the new chairman. In 2022, North Melbourne made history by appointing Jen Watt as CEO, joining President Dr. Sonja Hood in the first all-female AFL leadership team.

The club used to have money problems, but it became debt-free in 2021. It has had several good financial years since then. In 2022, North started the Arden Fund to help the club stay financially strong for a long time.

Night Football

In 1985, North Melbourne was the first club to play football on Friday nights. Since then, North Melbourne has played more Friday night games than any other AFL club.

Friday night games became very popular for TV. Because North Melbourne had fewer supporters than some other clubs, they started getting fewer Friday night games. However, from 2010 to 2014, North Melbourne hosted an annual Friday night game against Carlton to celebrate their role in starting the tradition.

Good Friday Football

After many years of asking, the AFL announced in 2016 that North Melbourne would play the Western Bulldogs on Good Friday in 2017. Good Friday is a day when Australians raise money for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. North Melbourne announced that $5 from each ticket sold would go to the charity. North Melbourne also played Essendon on Good Friday in 2019.

Indigenous Players

North Melbourne has a strong history of supporting Aboriginal footballers. The first Indigenous player for the club was Percy Johnson in the 1950s. Other popular Indigenous players included Bertie Johnson, Barry Cable, and the Krakouer brothers.

Here is a list of Indigenous footballers who have played for the club:

Players Lost in War

The following footballers played for North Melbourne and were killed in action during the World Wars.

World War I

• Peter Martin

World War II

• George Brock
• Alf Goonan
• Len Johnson
• Mo Shapir
• Len Thomas
• Beres Reilly
• Bert Peters

Rivalries

Essendon

One of the biggest rivalries in the AFL started in 1896. Several clubs, including Essendon Football Club, left the VFA to form the VFL. North wanted to join, but some believe Essendon didn't want them because they were too close and might take their players. More than 100 years later, some North fans still blame Essendon for their smaller fan base. North finally joined the VFL in 1925. In 1950, the two teams played in their first and only Grand Final, which Essendon won.

The rivalry grew again in the 1980s. In 1982, the Krakouer brothers led the Kangaroos to a finals win. Essendon got revenge a year later, winning a preliminary final by a lot. The rivalry became strong again in the late 1990s and early 2000s because both teams were successful. In 1998, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy publicly called North executives "soft." North beat Essendon in the next game, and North fans threw marshmallows at Sheedy as he left the ground! Sheedy actually liked it and encouraged a "Marshmallow Game" the next year, which drew a huge crowd. In 2000, Essendon beat North by a large margin. In 2001, Essendon made the biggest comeback ever against North, winning after being 69 points behind. In 2014, North beat Essendon in a finals game, continuing Essendon's long wait for a finals win.

Sometimes, this rivalry is seen as one-sided. In 2020, Essendon player Devon Smith said, "It's a bit of a rivalry built up from them, but for us it's another game." This is because Essendon sees its main rivals as Carlton, Collingwood, and Hawthorn.

Hawthorn

North and Hawthorn have a rivalry that goes back to the 1950s. They played tough games for the McCaskill Trophy. The rivalry became more intense in the 1970s when both clubs became very strong. They played each other in three Grand Finals in four years. North Melbourne beat Hawthorn in the 1975 VFL Grand Final to win their first championship. However, Hawthorn beat North Melbourne in the 1976 and 1978 Grand Finals. From 1974 to 1978, they played 10 finals games against each other.

In the 1980s, Hawthorn was stronger than North. But in the 1990s, North started winning more. A qualifying final in the 90s was the first AFL finals match to go into extra time! North Melbourne won by 23 points. The rivalry flared up again in the 21st century. In 2007, they had an intense semi-final game with lots of physical play and exciting moments. In 2014, there was a choking incident involving Brian Lake and North Melbourne forward Drew Petrie. In 2015, there were several fights and incidents during their games.

Club Achievements

Honour Roll

Year	W: L: D	Position	Chairman	CEO	Coach	Captain	Vice-Captain	Best and Fairest	Leading Goalkicker
2000	15:10:0	4th	R. P. Casey/A. Carter	G. Miller	D. Pagan	W. Carey	A. Stevens	P. Bell	W. Carey 69
2001	9:13:0	13th	A. Carter/A. Aylett	G. Miller/M. Easy	D. Pagan	W. Carey	A. Stevens	S. Grant	S. Rocca 48
2002	12:11:0	7th	A. Aylett	M. Easy/G. Walsh	D. Pagan	A. Stevens	G. Archer	A. Simpson	S. Rocca 50
2003	11:10:1	10th	A. Aylett	G. Walsh	D. Laidley	A. Stevens	G. Archer	B. Harvey	L. Harding 33
2004	10:12:0	10th	A. Aylett	G. Walsh	D. Laidley	A. Simpson	B. Harvey	B. Rawlings	S. Rocca 49
2005	13:10:0	7th	A. Aylett/G. Duff	G. Walsh	D. Laidley	A. Simpson	B. Harvey	B. Harvey	N. Thompson 52
2006	7:15:0	14th	G. Duff	G. Walsh/R. Aylett	D. Laidley	A. Simpson	B. Harvey	B. Rawlings	N. Thompson 54
2007	15:10:0	3rd	G. Duff/J. Magowan/J. Brayshaw	R. Aylett	D. Laidley	A. Simpson	B. Harvey	B. Harvey	C. Jones 43
2008	12:10:1	7th	J. Brayshaw	E. Arocca	D. Laidley	A. Simpson	B. Harvey	B. Harvey	D. Hale 37
2009	7:14:1	13th	J. Brayshaw	E. Arocca	D. Laidley/D. Crocker	B. Harvey	D. Petrie	A. Swallow	D. Petrie 27
2010	11:11:0	9th	J. Brayshaw	E. Arocca	B. Scott	B. Harvey	D. Petrie	B. Harvey, B. Rawlings	L. Thomas 29
2011	10:12:0	9th	J. Brayshaw	E. Arocca	B. Scott	B. Harvey	D. Petrie	A. Swallow, D. Wells	D. Petrie 48
2012	14:8:0	8th	J. Brayshaw	E. Arocca/C. Vale	B. Scott	A. Swallow	D. Petrie, J. Ziebell	A. Swallow	D. Petrie 57
2013	10:12:0	10th	J. Brayshaw	C. Dilena	B. Scott	A. Swallow	D. Petrie, J. Ziebell	D. Wells, S. Thompson	L. Thomas 53
2014	14:8:0	4th	J. Brayshaw	C. Dilena	B. Scott	A. Swallow	D. Petrie, J. Ziebell	B. Cunnington	D. Petrie 50
2015	13:9:0	4th	J. Brayshaw	C. Dilena	B. Scott	A. Swallow	D. Petrie, J. Ziebell	T. Goldstein	D. Petrie & J. Waite 42
2016	12:10:0	8th	J. Brayshaw	C. Dilena	B. Scott	A. Swallow		R. Tarrant	B. Brown 41
2017	6:16:0	15th	B. Buckley	C. Dilena	B. Scott	J. Ziebell	R. Tarrant, S. Higgins, J. Macmillan, A. Swallow	S. Higgins	B. Brown 63
2018	12:10:0	9th	B. Buckley	C. Dilena	B. Scott	J. Ziebell	R. Tarrant, S. Higgins, J. Macmillan	S. Higgins	B. Brown 61
2019	10:12:0	12th	B. Buckley	C. Dilena	B.Scott/R. Shaw	J. Ziebell	R. Tarrant, S. Higgins, J. Macmillan	B. Cunnington	B. Brown 63
2020	3:17:0	17th	B. Buckley	B. Amarfio	R. Shaw	J. Ziebell	R. Tarrant, S. Higgins	L. McDonald	C. Zurhaar 18
2021	4:17:1	18th	B. Buckley	B. Amarfio	D. Noble	J. Ziebell	L. McDonald, J.Simpkin	J. Simpkin	N. Larkey 42
2022	2:20:0	18th	B. Buckley	B. Amarfio	D. Noble/L. Adams	J. Ziebell	L. McDonald, J.Simpkin	J. Simpkin	N. Larkey 38
2023	3:20:0	17th	S. Hood	J. Watt	A. Clarkson/B. Ratten	L. McDonald, J. Simpkin	N. Larkey	H. Sheezel	N. Larkey 71

North Melbourne Team of the Century

In August 2001, the North Melbourne Team of the Century was announced. Wayne Carey was named captain, and Denis Pagan was coach. A panel of experts chose the team.

North Melbourne Team of the Century

B:	Glenn Archer	David Dench	Mick Martyn
HB:	John Rantall	Ross Glendinning	Ted Jarrard
C:	Keith Greig	Les Foote	Laurie Dwyer
HF:	Malcolm Blight	Wayne Carey (c)	Wayne Schimmelbusch
F:	John Dugdale	Jock Spencer	Allen Aylett
Foll:	Noel Teasdale	Anthony Stevens	Barry Cable
Int:	Brent Crosswell	Barry Davis	Peter Steward
	Sam Kekovich	Jim Krakouer	Brent Harvey
Coach:	Denis Pagan

Shinboner of the Century

On March 18, 2005, the North Melbourne football club held a special dinner called "The North Story." It celebrated 80 years since North joined the VFL and 30 years since their first VFL championship. Almost all living North Melbourne players attended. Glenn Archer was voted the Shinboner of the Century by other players. This award goes to the player who best shows the 'Shinboner Spirit'. The following players were voted 'Shinboners' of their time:

• Les Foote – Shinboner of the early era (1925–1950)
• Allen Aylett – Shinboner of the '50s
• Noel Teasdale – Shinboner of the '60s
• Malcolm Blight – Shinboner of the '70s
• Wayne Schimmelbusch – Shinboner of the '80s
• Wayne Carey – Shinboner of the modern era (1990–2005)

150th-Year Celebration

To celebrate 150 years since the North Melbourne Football Club was founded, a special celebration was held in August 2019. It started with a Friday night game against their rivals, Hawthorn. The Kangaroos came back from 27 points down to win by 22 points. The next day, the VFL team also won in a comeback. To finish the weekend, a 150th-Year Celebration Dinner was held. The 150 greatest North Melbourne players were announced, and the top 10 were revealed.

Top 10 Greatest North Players

• 1 – Wayne Carey
• 2 – Keith Greig
• 3 – David Dench
• 4 – Allen Aylett
• 5 – Brent Harvey
• 6 – Malcolm Blight
• 7 – Wayne Schimmelbusch
• 8 – Les Foote
• 9 – Anthony Stevens
• 10 – Ross Glendinning

Club Achievements Summary

Championships
Competition	Level	Wins	Years Won
Australian Football League	Seniors	4	1975, 1977, 1996, 1999
	Reserves (1919–1999)	7	1947, 1957, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1995, 1996
	Under 19s (1946–1991)	7	1946, 1976, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991
Victorian Football Association	Seniors (1877–1924)	6	1903, 1904, 1910, 1914, 1915, 1918
VFL Women's	Seniors	1	2024
Other Titles and Honours
McClelland Trophy	Seniors	4	1976, 1978, 1983, 1998
Championship of Australia	Seniors	1	1975
VFL Night Series	Seniors	2	1965, 1966
AFC Night Series	Seniors	1	1980
AFL pre-season competition	Seniors	2	1995, 1998
Finishing Positions
Australian Football League	Minor premiership	4	1949, 1978, 1983, 1998
	Grand Finalist	5	1950, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1998
	Wooden spoons	15	1926, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1940, 1956, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1972, 2021, 2022
AFL Women's	Minor premiership	1	2024
	Grand Finalist	1	2023
	Wooden spoons	0	Nil

VFL/AFL Finishing Positions (1925–Present)

Finishing Position	Year (Finals in Bold)	Tally
1st (Premiers)	1975, 1977, 1996, 1999	4
2nd (Runner-Up)	1950, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1998	5
3rd	1949, 1958, 1979, 1983, 1994, 2007	6
4th	1945, 1954, 1982, 1985, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2014, 2015	9
5th	1980, 1987, 1993	3
6th	1944, 1959, 1973, 1990	4
7th	1952, 1953, 1963, 1966, 1986, 2002, 2005	7
8th	1932, 1933, 1948, 1957, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1981, 1991, 2008, 2012, 2016	12
9th	1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1951, 1965, 1971, 1989, 2010, 2011, 2018	13
10th	1925, 1947, 2003, 2004, 2013	5
11th	1927, 1928, 1936, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1984, 1988	8
12th	1926, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1940, 1956, 1961, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1992, 2019	15
13th	2001, 2009	2
14th	2006	1
15th	2017	1
16th	nil	0
17th	2020, 2023, 2024	3
18th	2021, 2022	2

Players

Current Squad

Senior list						Rookie list		Coaching staff
1 Jack Mahony  2 Jaidyn Stephenson  3 Harry Sheezel  4 Aidan Corr  5 Curtis Taylor  6 George Wardlaw  7 Jack Ziebell (c)  8 Bailey Scott  9 Luke Davies-Uniacke 10 Ben Cunnington 11 Luke McDonald 12 Jy Simpkin 13 Darcy Tucker 16 Aiden Bonar 17 Lachie Young 18 Hugh Greenwood 19 Griffin Logue 20 Nick Larkey 21 Callum Coleman-Jones		22 Todd Goldstein 23 Ben McKay 24 Tom Powell 25 Paul Curtis 26 Tarryn Thomas 27 Miller Bergman 29 Will Phillips 30 Charlie Comben 31 Josh Goater 33 Brayden George 34 Jackson Archer 35 Charlie Lazzaro 36 Phoenix Spicer 37 Cooper Harvey 38 Tristan Xerri 39 Flynn Perez 40 Eddie Ford 43 Aaron Hall 44 Cameron Zurhaar				14 Liam Shiels 15 Daniel Howe 28 Kayne Turner 32 Jacob Edwards 41 Blake Drury 42 Kallan Dawson 45 Hamish Free		Head coach Alistair Clarkson Assistant coaches John Blakey (senior assistant/defence) Gavin Brown (head of development) Jordan Russell (midfield) Leigh Adams (development/VFL coach) Brent Harvey (development/goalkicking) Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice captain(s) (B) Category B rookie italics - Inactive player list Long-term injury (ret.) Retired Updated: 13 June 2025 Source(s): Playing list, Coaching staff

Reserves Team

North Melbourne
Names
Full name	North Melbourne Football Club
Former name(s)	Kangaroos (1999)
2023 season
Home-and-away season	10th
Club details
Founded	1925, re-established 2018 (as a reserves side)
Competition	Victorian Football League
Coach	Tom Lynch
Captain(s)	Jack Watkins
Premierships	VFL/AFL reserves (7) 1947 1957 1967 1978 1979 1995 1996
Ground(s)	Arden Street Oval (10,000)
Training ground(s)	Arden Street
Uniforms
Home

The North Melbourne reserves team plays in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

History

North Melbourne had a reserves team in the VFL/AFL reserves competition from 1925 to 1999. During that time, they won seven championships: 1947, 1957, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1995, and 1996.

After the AFL reserves competition ended, the standalone team was dissolved. For the next 18 years, the club partnered with other VFL clubs for their reserves players.

• 2000–2002: Murray Kangaroos
• 2003–2005: Port Melbourne
• 2006–2007: North Ballarat and Tasmania
• 2008–2015: North Ballarat and Werribee
• 2016–2017: Werribee

In 2018, North Melbourne started its own reserves team again. They played home games at Chirnside Park until mid-2019. Since then, they have played at the redeveloped Arden Street Oval.

Honours

Jim 'Frosty' Miller Medal: Nick Larkey (2018)

Seasons

Premiers

Grand Finalist

Minor premiers

Finals appearance

Wildcard Round appearance

Wooden spoon

League leading goalkicker

League best and fairest

Year	League	Finish	W	L	D	Coach	Captain	Best and fairest	Leading goalkicker	Goals	Ref
2018	VFL	10th	8	10	0	David Loader	Michael Close	Nick Rippon	Nick Larkey	41
2019	VFL	13th	5	13	0	David Loader	Brendan Whitecross	Tom Campbell	Lachlan Hosie	20
2020	VFL	(No season)	David Loader	Brendan Whitecross	(No season)
2021	VFL	15th	4	6	0	Leigh Adams	Flynn Appleby	Harry Jones	Ben Speight	12
2022	VFL	18th	4	14	0	Leigh Adams	Harry Jones	Dom Tyson	Mat Walker	23
2023	VFL	10th	10	8	0	Tom Lynch	Jack Watkins	Jack Watkins	Sam Lowson	34
2024	VFL	TBC				Tom Lynch	Jack Watkins

Women's Teams

AFL Women's Team

In 2017, North Melbourne was one of eight clubs that applied to join the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition from 2019. In September 2017, they were given a license to join. In April 2018, the club signed Emma Kearney, who had just won the AFL Women's best and fairest award. The team is officially called the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos. This is because they share their home games between Victoria and Tasmania.

The team reached the Grand Final in 2023 but lost closely to Brisbane.

AFL Women's Squad

Senior list						Rookie list		Coaching staff
1 Sophie Abbatangelo  2 Charli Gravville  3 Isabella Eddey  5 Tess Craven  6 Alice O'Loughlin  7 Ashleigh Riddell  8 Tayla Gatt  9 Emma Kearney (c) 10 Cassidy Mailer 12 Nicole Bresnehan 13 Vikki Wall 14 Erika O'Shea 15 Amy Smith 16 Tahlia Randall 17 Sarah Wright		19 Ella Maurer 20 Jasmine Ferguson 21 Sophia McCarthy 22 Ellie Gavalas 23 Mia King 24 Perri King 25 Jasmine Garner (vc) 26 Kim Rennie 29 Grace Master 31 Danielle Hardiman 35 Jenna Bruton 36 Brooke Brown 43 Grace Campbell 60 Emma King (vc)				4 Zoe Savarirayan		Head coach Darren Crocker Assistant coaches Natasha Hardy Brad Murphy Zac Read Rhys Harwood Mark Kovacevic Lauren Spark Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice captain(s) (i) Inactive Updated: 13 June 2025 Source(s): AFL Record

AFL Women's Season Summaries

North Melbourne AFLW Honour Roll
Season	Ladder	W–L–D	Finals	Coach	Captain(s)	Best and fairest	Leading goalkicker
2019	3rd ^	5–2–0	DNQ	Scott Gowans	Emma Kearney	Jenna Bruton	Emma King (8)
2020	2nd ^	5–1–0	Semi-finalists	Scott Gowans	Emma Kearney	Jasmine Garner	Kaitlyn Ashmore (9)
2021	6th	6–3–0	Elimination finalists	Darren Crocker	Emma Kearney	Jasmine Garner	Sophie Abbatangelo & Jasmine Garner (9)
2022 (S6)	4th	7–3–0	Elimination finalists	Darren Crocker	Emma Kearney	Ash Riddell	Jasmine Garner (10)
2022 (S7)	8th	6–3–1	Preliminary finalists	Darren Crocker	Emma Kearney	Jasmine Garner	Tahlia Randall (12)
2023	3rd	7–3–0	Runners-up	Darren Crocker	Emma Kearney	Jasmine Garner	Tahlia Randall (21)

^ Denotes the ladder was split into two conferences. Figure refers to the club's overall finishing position in the home-and-away season.

VFL Women's Team

North Melbourne started a team in the second-tier VFL Women's league in 2021. Before that, they had partnered with Melbourne University for several years.

Under coach Brett Gourley, the club won the 2024 championship. They beat Western Bulldogs in the Grand Final in July 2024.

VFL Women's Season Summaries

North Melbourne VFLW Honour Roll
Season	Final position	Coach	Captain	Best and fairest	Leading goal kicker
2021	10th	Cheyne Webster	Nikki Wallace	Meagan Kiely	Brooke Brown (8)
2022	7th	Steph Binder	Molly Eastman	Liz McGrath	Sarah Skinner (12)
2023	9th	Steph Binder	Jess Jones	Audrey Rhodes	Emily Paterno (9)
2024	Premiers	Brett Gourley	Jess Jones/Sarah King	Maddie Di Cosmo	Nyakoat Dojiok (22)

Images for kids

• 

  James Henry Gardiner, who worked hard to promote the club in its early days.

• 

  Chart showing North Melbourne F.C.'s journey through the VFA and V/AFL.

• 

  "The Inaugurals". This team brought North its first championship after 34 years.

• 

  A VFA cigarette card from 1906.

• 

  Syd Barker, Sr., a club legend from "The Invincibles" era.

• 

  Chart of North Melbourne's yearly ladder positions in the VFL/AFL.

• 

  North Melbourne and Arden St Oval after joining the VFL, around 1928.

• 

  Malcolm Blight was a star in the 1970s. He won a Brownlow Medal and Coleman Medal with North Melbourne.

• 

  Glenn Archer was named "Shinboner of the Century" for showing the North Melbourne spirit.

• 

  A Kangaroos quarter-time team huddle at the MCG in 2006.

• 

  Sav Rocca was a popular goalkicker in the early 2000s.

• 

  Andrew Swallow captained the club in the 2010s.

• 

  Brent Harvey played the most AFL games ever, with 432 games.

• 

  North Melbourne cheer squad in 2017.

• 

  Docklands Stadium (Marvel Stadium) – North Melbourne's home ground.

• 

  James Brayshaw was club chairman from 2007 to 2017.

• 

  Captain Jess Jones (L) and coach Brett Gourley (R) celebrate with the 2024 VFL Women's premiership cup.

See also

In Spanish: North Melbourne Football Club para niños

• Sport in Australia
• Sport in Victoria
• List of North Melbourne Football Club players