North Melbourne is on the runaway train to a huge overhaul.
This is a club that is fully aware it is about to wade into a full-blown rebuild. For those who sit behind the desks at Arden Street, there are no illusions here.
This is Rhyce Shaw’s baton, but only because he received it as the next in line.
And while the interim-turned-permanent coach believed there was still cause for optimism in this playing list when he campaigned for the top job last year, he naturally believed he would have his best 22 available more often than not.
But Shaw’s is a playing list that has since been shredded by injury and a busy medical room has exposed a club with no depth.
Senior teammates say the loss of midfield general Ben Cunnington with back, hip and quad problems can’t be understated. But the pillar of the North midfield has basically not run since that disastrous Round 5 comeback and there’s no hope of a return any time soon.
But Cunnington is merely the surface of a Pacific Ocean set of personnel issues at Arden Street.
Skipper Jack Ziebell last year kicked 24.16 as an influential forward, but is sidelined with another hamstring injury. You wonder if the game is starting to go past him.
While supporters may argue that the likes of Jasper Pittard should be dropped, the fact is there’s a startling lack of options underneath.
Joel Crocker isn’t ready physically, ditto Matt McGuinness, Tristan Xerri doesn’t look up to it, Ed Vickers-Willis is fragile, Will Walker has had injury problems of his own and hasn't been able to cement a spot and Flynn Perez is a teenager.
Lachie Hosie kicked two goals on debut, but has work to do on his defensive efforts.
Shaun Atley is a 200-game player who doesn’t influence the game, Aaron Hall doesn’t look up to it and Jared Polec is a $725,000-a-season player who plays his best football when his team is swimming with the tide, not against it.
Dom Tyson was signed to a three-year deal, with a trigger for a fourth, when moving from Melbourne at the end of 2018, but has played three games since and suffered an endless string of soft tissue setbacks.
It all goes into a mix to create the most un-North Melbourne side we’ve seen for some time.
But where the Kangaroos last summer had their hands tied by players being under contract, this time there are few hurdles.
By seasons end the Roos will have 23 players out of contract. The club has two first-round draft picks – one tied to Melbourne – and a second-round pick tied to Essendon.
North Melbourne has not had a top-three pick at the national draft since it took Lachie Hansen in 2006.
That’s without factoring in a decision on another injured player, the out-of-form Ben Brown, who could be put on the trade table.
Bottom line - there is now room to move.
Rhyce Shaw (coach), Brady Rawlings (general manager of football) Scott Clayton (head of player personnel) and Glenn Luff (list manager) are the club’s newly formed off-field team.
They will be busy.
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