Under the constitution of the club, Brayshaw is only able to serve one more term if re-elected at the start of next year, but it will be anything but a quiet exit.
“In those three years, when I hand over to whoever is going to do it next, I would like us to have a locked in 25-year future, where we are not concerned about six inches in front of our face we can strategically plan and onfield, we are about a long period of sustained onfield success - we don't want five minutes in the sun,” he told the Herald Sun.
“I'd love us to be debt free in that time - I think that would be a great statement to the competition to not have any debt anymore after inheriting $8 million, that would be great.
“To have Tassie established, to have one more game would be a really good result and to have a long-term deal locked in so that we have got some surety around that which allows that growth to continue.
“They are two things that I think are really important.”
With any relationship like the one North shares with Tasmania, comes the usual avalanche of questions regarding relocation.
“We made a guarantee last year - when there was an item at our AGM to be discussed around games played, what I said to people who had concerns at that time is at the next AGM we will include relocation with merging in our constitution - because we're not going anywhere. We'd be mad to.
“We've got a $20 million facility at Arden St that we basically nearly own and have an unbelievable time training out of. We've got a huge supporter base in Melbourne, our home is three minutes from the CBD - we think we have one of the best training facilities now in the competition, in the best location so we're not going anywhere. We're just getting stronger and stronger.
“But, we need to grow. And that is where Hobart is so important because we have got a small supporter base and historically that has been the case and we need to engage more people, their kids need to wear North Melbourne jumpers and beanies and scarfs and come and watch us playing. And in future generations their kids need to be North fans as well and that is how you get bigger. And the simple facts of this competition is the bigger you get, the stronger you are.”
Brayshaw says North’s emerging playing group and arrival of some key off-field signings should unite its supporters.
“We want to keep drafting kids, keep bringing the top 30 kids into our club and keep teaching them to play our way under a strong coach and strong support system in the footy department and this year we are going to do it again, Luke McDonald comes in and we'll keep pick 30 and we'll do the same next year,” Brayshaw added.
“We're not trading out, we're not bringing instant fixes in – Dal (Nick Dal Santo) is a great addition but he is a free agent … we want to be there and stay there.
“40,000 members should be something that we are all aiming towards, we all should be aiming towards getting our attendance up because we do play an attractive brand of footy, so for all North Melbourne people it is not good enough any more to support the club, you've got to get along.”
Great expectation is now on the Kangaroos’ shoulders after being such a prominent player in the off-season, a challenge Brayshaw is confident the club can tackle head on.
“We expect to play well, and we do that every time. We are devastated when we don't. One of the things about myself, and the members of our board but also about Brad and Walshy, we detest losing. Absolutely hate it.
“Any thought that we go into the rooms after we've been beaten and are remotely happy about is miles off the mark. Scotty is … I've never known a bloke who gets more devastated when we don't win.
“He's an animal competitor and so are we. We are not happy about what happened this year and we've got to get better. We're confident we will.”
Brayshaw hasn’t thought too much about a potential successor, but sees a fellow board member as a likely candidate.
“Lots of people could do it - it's just a matter of whether they are in a position to do it, because there is a lot of work attached to it. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't.
“Ben Buckley is a great example of someone who would do it on his ear. (He’s) ridiculously over qualified, a very driven professional person and a family man. He lives in Sydney at the moment. But in three years - the great hope is that someone will pop up and make themselves known, but it's not something I am particularly concerned about at the moment.”
