Latest news with #Shinboners
News.com.au
03-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Coaching great Denis Pagan, Wayne Carey's son fire up Kangaroos
North Melbourne legend Denis Pagan had a priceless clip for the current squad on a special night for the Kangaroos at Marvel Stadium. The club is celebrating its Centenary on Thursday night as the Roos take on the high-flying Western Bulldogs. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Founded in 1869 as the North Melbourne Football Club, it joined the former Victorian Football League competition exactly 100 years ago, in 1925. Adopting the name Kangaroos in 1950, the club has typically had a working class, backs-to-the-wall spirit throughout its history. Watch Denis Pagan fire up the Roos in the player above Since Pagan led the Roos to premierships in 1996 and 1999, however, the club has fallen on hard times. Pagan, 77, who was given the honour of being named coach of the club's Team of the Century, provided a classic pre-match speech in an effort to inspire the 'Shinboners' on such a special night. And in trademark style, he didn't pull any punches. After taking the current list through a short history of the club, Pagan couldn't resist bringing up North's dreadful 85-point belting against the Hawks last weekend. 'The 90s came along and we had a great team then, very similar to the 70s,' Pagan said as his volume increased. 'No one intimidated us. We had a mantra, 'war without weapons'. Everyone who ran out put his body on the line. 'I want to see you blokes do that tonight. I had a look at Hawthorn last week and I can tell you what, a lot of you blokes have got a bit to answer for. 'Tonight, you make sure that you're hard at the ball, you're hard at the man with the ball, you tackle and chase, you put pressure on your opponent. 'No day dreaming, just go for it and give it your best shot.' Pagan and troubled club great Wayne Carey brought the 1996 Premiership Cup onto the field as part of the celebrations before the game got underway. Former skipper Carey is widely considered North's greatest ever player, captaining the club to those two flags in the 1990s. But he is also synonymous with one of the biggest scandals in club history, when his affair with the wife of teammate Anthony Stevens came to light in 2002, leading to Carey's sacking and plummeting the club into a long period at the foot of the ladder. Carey was largely shunned by the Roos for many years, but has slowly been incorporated back into club functions in recent times. His son Carter shared a cute moment with current North Melbourne star Harry Sheezel a day before the game when the six-year-old was presented with a signed jumper from his favourite player. Carter was also alongside his dad and Pagan when the 96 Cup was brought out onto the ground. The Roos of old were renowned for lifting and beating the odds and some of that seemed to rub off on the 2025 side early on Thursday night. Big key forward Nick Larkey kicked three goals in the opening term as North took a surprise six-point lead into the first change. Despite a knee concern, Larkey slotted another two goals in the second quarter as the teams traded goals before the heavily favoured Dogs took a 13-point lead into halftime. It was an encouraging performance from a team making slow strides under coach Alastair Clarkson. But fans were loving the appearance of Carey and his son as part of such a special night for the perennial battlers. North Melbourne's official Instagram account posted a photo of the Careys with Sheezel with the caption: 'Carter Carey meets his favourite Roo�. Make sure you're in your seat by 6.45pm AEST tonight for our Centenary celebrations, with the Duck and Denis Pagan to deliver the 1996 premiership cup!' One North fan replied: 'Oh finally the greatest ever kanga is gracing my screen. Hail the KING.' Another wrote: 'Former Captain to future captain. Awesome photo. Long live the (king).' A third stated: 'Best photo I've seen come out of the club in years.' A number of Kangaroos fans were making the same joke about the son of a club great. 'Can carter play this week?' and 'can he play centre half forward?' were among some of the comments from the optimistic fan base. Carey's countless scandals since the end of his playing days, including allegations of domestic violence and problems with drugs and alcohol, have left many footy fans struggling to accept his return into the sport's mainstream. It's clear a number of North fans are prepared to move on, however, particularly on such an important night in the club's long, proud history.
7NEWS
02-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
AFL great Kane Cornes finds new nickname for North Melbourne after ‘Sheezey Ball' fallout
Expert Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes and North Melbourne champion David King have had it out over the controversial remarks around young Kangaroo star Harry Sheezel. Cornes, a Port Adelaide legend, coined the term 'Sheezey Ball' on Channel 7's hit new show The Agenda Setters, and said the 20-year-old was 'stat-padding' in games without being influential. Cornes had numbers to support his assertion, but many people thought his criticism — largely due to the nickname — was harsh. In the fallout, the club banned Cornes from their rooms during games, even though Cornes has been at pains to say he rates Sheezel (and had him at No.28 in his top 50 AFL players). On Friday, King and Cornes finally went head to head over the issue. 'I think you've been disrespectful to a young player of 20 years of age,'' King said on SEN's Fireball Friday. 'Your topic was strong enough to keep it at just the footy side of the discussion. 'Critique their footy, critique their role, but stop going too far.' North said the Cornes attack was 'bullying', and believed he had been targeting the club over a number of years. Cornes says it his job to critique players (which it obviously is). Cornes has also been strong on the club's appointment of four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson. After the club said he was banned, Cornes told 7NEWS that it was disappointing that Clarkson was not going to 'front up and answer that type of criticism face to face'. On Fireball Friday, Cornes came up with a new nickname for North Melbourne. 'Aren't you the Shinboners? Aren't you the tough, rugged Shinboners who stand up to people face to face?'' Cornes said to King. 'The 'Runaway Roos' is what I'm calling you.'
