North Melbourne’s coaching panel hard at work. Rohan Connolly observes from the back row. Photo: SEBASTIAN COSTANZO

FIRST PUBLISHED IN “THE AGE” IN 2009

It’s 1.10pm Sunday afternoon, the official start of North Melbourne’s 2009 AFL season literally seconds away.

We’re in the Kangaroos’ coaches box, where a group of eight coaches and support staff are about to see six months’ planning and preparation put to the test against Melbourne. The tension is palpable.

Except in senior coach Dean Laidley, the man upon whose shoulders the burden should be weighing heaviest. As the MCG scoreboard belts out the new AFL advertisement at high volume, the players running to their positions, Laidley turns to assistant Darren Crocker.

“Do you know who sings the song in this ad?” he asks. “Umm … no,” comes the response from a puzzled Crocker. “It’s the Dropkick Murphys. You obviously haven’t got teenage kids. My wife and kids love them.”

It’s the last stress-free moment Laidley will have this afternoon. And with matters of popular culture attended to, it’s down to business for the coach, assistants Crocker, Anthony Rock, Darren Bewick and Danny Daly, board man Shane Tierney, Cameron Joyce, manning the phone to the interchange bench, and Rob Harding, in charge of the IT and stats.

It’s on even before the ball is bounced. “Let’s work out really quickly where (Melbourne keys) Green and Bruce are. See who’s going with (Daniel) Wells and (Brent) Harvey. ‘Crock’, make sure there’s a good balance. We don’t want to get opened up,” Laidley barks.

Today for North Melbourne is about ferocity, but focus, too. A point Laidley had laboured to the players when they had their pre-game team meeting 90 minutes earlier.

He’d produced a large close-up photo of boxer Azumah Nelson before his fight against Jeff Fenech in Melbourne in 1992. “Look how focussed he is, but also pretty calm,” he said. “We’ve got to be able to live in the moment.”

Which the Roos’ coaching box also has to as the game unfolds. In a pressure cooker environment, everyone has to learn to cop the occasional spray without taking it too personally.

Like Tierney, the man placing the match-ups on the board with the assistance of Crocker and Bewick, who yell out the mach-ups. Laidley quickly spots something amiss and vents his frustration.

The rotations come seemingly every minute, Joyce on the phone delivering a constant stream of interchange instructions to the bench. “(Adam) Simpson off for (Andrew) Swallow, (Leigh) Harding on for (Sam) Power.

North Melbourne’s Gavin Urquhart swings on to his left under pressure from Melbourne’s Colin Garland. Photo: SEBASTIAN COSTANZO

Stats man Rob Harding calls out any noteworthy figures emerging, clearances, first possessions, uncontested possessions. Of which Melbourne has several in a row in one of its first serious attacks of the game. “They shouldn’t be able to get that many uncontested marks in a row!” Laidley yells.

“Bring ‘Gibbo’ (Josh Gibson) up on to Green … push (Daniel) Pratt on to Pettard.” The coach has asked for Brady Rawlings to be given a breather, Gavin Urquhart going to danger man Aaron Davey. But Rawlings doesn’t receive the message quickly enough for the coach’s liking.

“The first possessions have gone their way the last four minutes,” says Daly, a computer screen in front of him. “Who’s had them? … Come on, come on,” says an impatient Laidley. “McLean? Well put ‘Simmo’ on to him. “They’re working harder than us, aren’t they.”

The quarter-time siren brings another challenge for the coaching panel, namely clambering down several flights of stairs from the box to ground level, so many that Laidley has to get a head start to get down to address the troops in time, asking Harding to let him know when there’s a minute-and-a-half to go.

It’s a real issue for the coaches at the MCG. Joyce, who used to work for West Coast, remembers the Eagles’ coaching crew on grand final day 2006 taking too long to get back, and walking back into the box only to find Sydney’s Adam Goodes had already kicked the first goal of the final term.

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When Melbourne this afternoon kicks the first goal of the second quarter to hit the lead, Laidley asks of his defensive coach Crocker: “What the hell’s happening down there?”

Several times, Laidley asks the bench to speak to players directly when they come off for a spell. Simpson first, then Wells. “Just have a breather Daniel. I’m going to put you on in the middle. If Bruce goes to you, just be aware of it.”

There’s no time to appreciate any individual acts of brilliance. When ruckman Hamish McIntosh, playing a blinder, takes a super strong mark and goals, the coaches are too busy working out a string of four positional moves and rotations to even notice.

There’s a quick team meeting at half-time, the significant stats already up on the whiteboard. North is down on contested ball and tackling, but Laidley remains calm and measured with his instructions.

Things start well with a couple more goals to Petrie and Matt Campbell giving the Roos some breathing space. But Laidley wants Wells in the centre and Harding on, and minutes later, neither move has happened.

“I don’t want to have to say it again,” he screams down the phone! “I want Wells in the middle and I want Leigh Harding out here … just get it right!”

Melbourne hits back with a couple of goals, the second to Green. Laidley sighs. “We’ve got to tighten up on Green. I said that all week, and look what’s happened.”

Skipper Brent Harvey is struggling by his lofty standards. But perhaps it’s a good sign. Because other matchwinners are emerging. Harding. Late inclusion Swallow. And particularly McIntosh, who, early in the last term, slots his third goal to give North a four-goal break. “Good boy, big fella,” Laidley cheers as it goes through.

Impressive late inclusion Andrew Swallow gets a kick away under heat from Melbourne’s Brad Green. Photo: SEBASTIAN COSTANZO

Then, another unforseen obstacle. Laidley meant to do a quick toilet stop at three-quarter time, but there was no chance. And a steady stream of bottled water has taken its toll. With the clock on seven minutes, he leaps from his seat. “I’ve got to go to the toilet, boys, or I’m going to piss myself.

Fortunately, there’s a cubicle at the back of the box, and in the 45 seconds or so it takes the coach to relieve himself and get back to his seat, there are no disasters.

David Hale puts the Roos 27 points up and victory’s almost there, and when Michael Firrito lines up another, Laidley knows this will be the killer blow. “Come on boys, put the nail in the coffin here.” Firrito does.

With five minutes to go, there’s just the slightest easing of tensions. McIntosh marks again. “Jesus Christ, this guy’s best on ground by the length of the street,” says Laidley. He asks to speak to young key defender Lachie Hansen, who has had the better of the Demons’ Brad Miller. “Mate, super effort today.”

There’s another pat on the back for young on-baller Swallow, only playing because draftee Liam Anthony had to withdraw from the selected side with stress fractures. “What about this kid? F…. I’m glad we played him. I don’t reckon we would have won the game without him.”

And a young defensive six, as a group still feeling its way. “I reckon our whole backline’s been pretty good.” The final siren brings a contended “Well done boys,” from the coach’s lips.

At the post-match meeting, it’s all smiles. “The way you ground it out was really good,” Laidley tells his players. The Roos had been fierce and focussed, just like the coach had asked. And up in the box, so had the North Melbourne coaching panel.

And as he munches on a post-game snack, Laidley can even have a laugh about his unscheduled last-quarter “pit-stop”. “Go when it’s your turn,” is one of the coach’s favourite sayings to his players. Today, he’s given it a whole new meaning.

*Rohan Connolly went inside North Melbourne prior to the 2009 season. HERE’S HOW THE WEEK UNFOLDED.