Following North Melbourne's 14th successive defeat at the hands of Collingwood on Saturday afternoon, David Noble has stepped down from his head coaching position, effective immediately.
The 55-year-old had been under mounting pressure from both sides of the boundary line and further scrutiny from within the four walls at Arden Street as the Kangaroos commenced an internal review into their affairs.
As first reported by SEN's Sam Edmund, Noble was said to have alerted powerbrokers and players at Arden Street of his choice to move on Monday afternoon.
Still, there were murmurs at the MCG after the Roos' narrow loss to the Pies that a decision could well have been made in the shadows of the final siren.
Speaking just after 7am (AEST), Edmund broke the news of the Tasmanian's departure.
“A decision has been made on David Noble by North Melbourne and he will be stepping down as coach,” Edmund told SEN Breakfast listeners.
“I’m told an announcement will be made today.
“He told colleagues and people he knows and trusts last night that he would be departing as coach. The word has since got out.
“David Noble has had a short coaching career at North Melbourne, taking over in 2021.
“The run of results of 14 consecutive losses and there have been concerns about not just his coaching methods but his demeanour.”
Further reports from Edmund have suggested that if Noble was not moved on, players within North Melbourne's locker room would have been forced to reassess their futures.
Within an address to supporters and members, club president Dr. Sonja Hood shed further light on the decision to opt-out of their agreement with Noble.
"While we appreciate that we are at the beginning of a rebuild, it doesn’t give us a free pass in terms of expecting competitive performances. We entered this season optimistic about 2022 because of our record in the second half of 2021 and solid off-season recruiting," Dr Hood said.
"The pre-season sentiment internally was overwhelmingly positive.
"Resisting the urge to dream big, we set a simple benchmark – improve on last year, compete consistently against the teams around us on the ladder and play a brand of football that challenged the competition’s best teams.
"Put simply, we have failed to live up to those expectations, and that is why we have agreed to end David’s tenure as coach."
While addressing the media on Tuesday morning, Noble claimed that he wasn't fronting them to "make excuses".
Noble also stated that the board's decision to turn their eye elsewhere was not one that shocked him.
"(I'm) not surprised. The numbers haven't been great," Noble said.
"At the end of the day, the buck stops with me".
Still, with more than three decades of football experience under his belt, the former steward was emphatic that he still had more to offer.
"I feel I have unfinished business in the industry," Noble professed.
Noble departs Arden Street with a 5-1-32 record after taking over the Shinboners' reins ahead of the 2021 AFL season.
The former Fitzroy Lion held an assortment of coaching roles at clubs such as the Western Bulldogs, Glenelg, Adelaide and Brisbane ahead of taking on the Roos' top job following Rhyce Shaw's rapid exit at the cessation of 2020.
Former North Melbourne representative and current VFL coach Leigh Adams will replace Noble in the role on an interim basis.
Adams, 34, made 104 appearances in blue and white bars between 2007 and 2015. The hard-nosed midfielder has also gained head coaching experience from his former post leading standalone VFL outfit Coburg.
Former Saint and Crow Tom Lynch will take over the Kangaroos' reserves roster for the remainder of the season.
The names of fellow former Roos in Adam Simpson, Alastair Clarkson and John Longmire have been raised as prime targets to take on the job of leading the rebuilding outfit.
However, Dr. Hood used Tuesday morning to divulge that the club had not yet reached out to Clarkson in a formal capacity.
Hood also stressed that conversations designed to lure Simpson back to Melbourne had not commenced either.
With the aforementioned review, conducted by Geoff Walsh, still ongoing, further bloodletting may yet be on the cards, with uncertainty still said to surround the futures of certain board members due to coterie unrest.
Adams and North Melbourne will earn their latest opportunity to finally return to the winner's list on Saturday afternoon when they face Richmond at Marvel Stadium at 4:35pm (AEST).
