Former Collingwood football boss Geoff Walsh has linked up with North Melbourne to aid their on-field woes this season.

North Melbourne currently sit in 17th on the ladder with one win to their record, having endured an arduous campaign both on and off the field.

The club have backed in senior coach David Noble despite their struggles, with the club continuing to work through a list rebuild under the 35-game coach.

Walsh, who called time on his tenure as general manager of football at the Magpies at the end of 2020, concluded a successful 36-year stint in the AFL when he departed Olympic Park.

That run began with Fitzroy in 1985 before landing top brass positions at Carlton, the Kangaroos and Collingwood on two occasions.

Walsh was also a key figure in Cartlon's football review of last year, and will step back onto the AFL landscape in consulting with North Melbourne.

The club confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the former Pies boss will take on a consultancy role that will impact the Roos' list management team.

โ€œGeoff is a prominent figure in the game and our football club, having run the football department alongside Denis Pagan in our two most recent premiership successes in 1990s,โ€ North Melbourne president Dr Sonja Hood said.

โ€œHe has since had two stints running the football department at Collingwood and here again at North Melbourne and is a respected figure at both clubs.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 28: Geoff Walsh, Chief Executive of the Kangaroos, addresses the media after Jonathan Hay read a prepared statement during a press conference at the Telstra Dome on August 28, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. Hay revealed that he suffers from bipolar depression, having been first diagnosed in 2003. Hay has been given indefinite leave by the Kangaroos to seek treatment for the illness. (Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

โ€œWe donโ€™t hide from the fact this has been a tough first half of the season and we couldnโ€™t think of a better personย to assist us as we work through this next phase of our clubโ€™s journey.โ€

Walsh bring with him a decorated career that included influence in four premierships, 10 grand final appearances and a total of 25 finals series since the mid-1980s.

The Roos have lost 11 straight matches since their sole victory in Round 2, with their matchup against the Crows this weekend arguably their strongest chance to dash their winless run in the back-end of the year.

North Melbourne will host the Crows at Blundstone Arena, Tasmania, at 1:10pm (AEST) on Sunday afternoon.