North Melbourne's on-field battles continued in a year that generated two wins, handing them wooden spoon honours as a result of an 18th-place finish under the watch of exiting coach David Noble.
An early taste of success against an undermanned Eagles outfit opened their account before a losing streak of 14 games was snapped with an inspired performance opposed to Richmond.
Under the roof at Marvel the North faithful roared with a passionate rendition of their club song, which rounded their year on somewhat of a positive note, made sweeter by the return of Ben Cunnington.
With the off-season period welcoming in a proven senior head coach in Alastair Clarkson, as well as a host of recruits walking through the same doors as some new talented draftees, a sense of promise can be attached to 2023.
And with that in mind, we take a look at the five burning questions the Roos face this year.
5. How will Alastair Clarkson cope with a young list in the rebuild phase?
With his old side Hawthorn relatively at a similar point in their development, with his predecessor Sam Mitchell in charge at Waverley Park, the two rebuilds will be a talking point this year.
For Clarkson to take the job shows both a sense of self-confidence within his own ability and the fact the Roos list presents itself full of promise, if nurtured correctly under capable hands.
With some exciting early draft picks joining his brigade, coupled with some stars on the rise, North Melbourne's list isn't all too different from the one that Clarkson adopted in his first season with Hawthorn.
