Heading into his eighth AFL season, Luke Davies-Uniacke finds himself in a unique position to help shape North Melbourne's next generation.

Outwardly calm and quietly spoken, the explosive midfielder also possesses a steely self confidence, and a fierce determination to help lead the Kangaroos back up the ladder.

"I've been around long enough to influence the other players … it’s funny that I’m a 'veteran' but I'm only 26 years old," Davies-Uniacke said in the second episode of NMFC Media's 'Make It Happen' documentary series.

"I find that if I’m driving standards, I help the group improve as well.

"I'm always someone who’s giving 110 per cent so hopefully the boys latch on.

"I walk onto the field knowing I’m one of the better players out there because if you don’t have that confidence, you're not going to get anywhere with your football.

"You've got to have that self-belief. For me, now, it’s about getting the younger guys to this next level and it’s looking like they’re already going to be there.

"It feels like the younger guys are all entering this phase where ... they're on the threshold of taking the game apart.

"We should be striving to make finals for 2026 … it’s time to get up there."

It's the combination of talent and preparation that makes Davies-Uniacke difficult to curtail on a gameday, and it's something the younger players are noticing from the moment he steps onto the field.

One of those emerging Kangaroos, George Wardlaw, has been watching closely and already shows many of the same traits that make 'LDU' such a standout.

"He takes his preparation very seriously. It’s one of the first things you notice about him in the football space," Wardlaw said.

"I could take a lot from him … pretty much everything he did I try to mimic.

"He's got this natural ability where everything slows down for him and he can pick gaps, explode out of stoppages and use fancy footwork to his advantage.

"He plays on instinct most of the time. He’s a hard player to stop."

While Davies-Uniacke plies his trade north of the city, his connection to his roots on the Mornington peninsula remains strong.

From unwinding through surfing at the Rye back beach to owning the family house and visiting his mother Cath, when he heads back home the star midfielder maintains a sense of appreciation for how far he’s come in football and life.

"I get this unwavering sense of belonging," Davies-Uniacke said.

"It's a place where I can be away from everyone and break away from that cycle of football."

It was Cath, Luke's biggest fan, who played a significant role in getting her son to remain in the blue and white stripes beyond 2025.

"She's built some wonderful connections through the family side of the club, and that’s another thing that’s so great about North Melbourne - it’s one big family,” he said.

"She was in my ear a fair bit saying 'Oh Lukey, you can’t leave.'

"She was obviously one of the first people to know [that I'd signed a contract extension] as well."

Luke's father Peter, who passed away in 2021 due to illness, “never missed a game” as Luke was rising through the ranks.

"I still have memories of him rocking up to an Adelaide game and I was just in the race with a couple of other emergencies, and he was there because he didn’t want to miss a beat," Davies-Uniacke said.

"It has its challenges at times and you always think about him.

"I can’t really say how proud he would be, but I know he would be."

A surfer in his own right, Peter "fell in love" with Rye and moved to the suburb with Cath after they met in Bali, says Luke, underlining just how much the area means to North Melbourne’s No.9.

In the second episode of the club's 'Make It Happen' documentary series, Davies-Uniacke also talks about his passion for surfing, his junior football days and more.

Watch the second episode of 'Make It Happen' via NMFC.com.au or YouTube NOW.