TWO-TIME premiership winning North Melbourne coach Denis Pagan says Brady Rawlings will retire as one of the club's greats after learning not to let anyone push him around.

On Wednesday, Rawlings announced he would retire at the end of this season, having currently played 243 games and won three North best and fairests. At North, only four players have won more best and fairests: Brent Harvey (five) and Noel Teasdale, David Dench and Wayne Carey (all four).

Pagan was coach at North Melbourne when the Kangaroos selected Rawlings from Devonport with pick No. 15 in the 1998 National AFL Draft.

When Rawlings walked into Arden Street, Pagan said he was quietly spoken, slightly built and about to learn a lesson that would help mould him into the fierce competitor he will be remembered as.

Pagan said that lesson was delivered in a game against the Sydney Swans at the SCG. It was round five, 2000, and Rawlings was tagging Daryn Cresswell when the Swans midfielder punched him behind play, he said.
 
"It was as clear as anything that day in Sydney, Daryn Creswell just went whack on Brady's nose," Pagan said. "I saw it, but Brady didn't do anything about it.

"And I said to him, 'Look, you don't want to let anyone ever do that to you again, son. Someone does that to you, you make sure you get them back as quickly as you possibly can. Because it will soon get around AFL circles. You can't let anyone stand over you.'

"He didn't have an opportunity to do much that day because he had to come off the ground under the blood rule and we took him off the ground. He didn't have a good night.

"He was obviously shattered by what I said to him. I can't remember whether we dropped him or not the next week, but the reality is he had to work and go through a tough-love apprenticeship. He certainly did that."

Rawlings was dropped following that game and spent six weeks in the VFL before earning a recall.

Pagan said although some first-found draft picks can waltz into a club and assume AFL football will come easily, he'd never questioned Rawlings' preparedness to work hard and address deficiencies in his game.

"When you think about that game at the SCG to where he is now and the way he carries himself, there's no one who's going to stand over Brady Rawlings ever again," Pagan said.

Pagan said Rawlings would retire as one of the most significant contributors to North Melbourne, as a player and a leader.

"I don't think anyone could have earned any more respect than Brady has," Pagan said.

"He's a three-time best and fairest winner and if you think that's a mild achievement, go and have a look at the North Melbourne honour board and see how many have won three best and fairests.

"He's up there with the elite of the elite. He's been a wonderful role model for everybody and displayed great leadership skills. And I don't think anyone could have contributed more to North Melbourne than Brady has."
 
In Wednesday's Herald Sun, Rawlings paid tribute to the influence Pagan had had on his career, saying his first coach had taught him to stand up for himself.

"I think he made me who I am in a lot of ways," Rawlings said.