North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw couldn’t be prouder of the program the club has put in place to continue engaging with its players.

Shaw said the current pandemic had created a “very surreal” scenario to have to adapt to, but was confident the Roos were getting the most out of a difficult situation.

“We have done really well in terms of making sure the players still have that connection with each other and the staff,” he told North Media, in a Zoom video chat.

“We’ve put together a schedule that runs really well, and I’m really proud of the work that everyone’s put into this, to make sure it runs smoothly.

“The guys (players) are getting a lot out of it; we’ve got something going on every day.”

Among the normal team meetings, the players and coaches are heading online for ‘Coffee Club’, sharing their life stories and joining in various activities aimed at continually staying in touch.

Of course, conditioning and skills remain a key priority, with Jy Simpkin revealing earlier in the week he’d been running “10-12 kilometres” in regular sessions.

“The way we are structured up, I’m really pleased with how it’s rolling, and the guys are really invested in it,” Shaw said.

“I’m really conscious of the player mindset and this situation is totally off the charts. It’s very surreal and hopefully we don’t have to go through it again.

“The mindset of a player is, you want a bit, but you don’t want too much. You don’t want to be pressured into doing things you don't want to do, especially when there is no end date in sight.

“We’ve got to be really careful about the way we operate, but I think we’ve got a fantastic balance.

“I love the way you can jump on ‘Coffee Club’ in the morning and it’s just three or four blokes having a chat. That’s what it’s all about, just staying connected and just making sure we are driving each other to be the best we can be, in such uncertain times.”

While the program is running smoothly, Shaw said he can’t wait to get back to Arden Street, and normality.

“I love being in at the club, I love seeing all the people, players and staff and interacting with them on a daily basis,” he added.

“It’s so hard being that type of person, and I think we’ve got a lot of coaches like that.

“I just love the corridor conversations that I get to have with people at the footy club, and you really miss that. I really value that.”

Watch the full 15-minute chat with coach Rhyce Shaw below.