David Noble made a surprise call to a family of North Melbourne fanatics who saw the membership tally tick over 40,000 on Thursday morning. 

Luke Sharry (32-year-member), Louise Halliwell (17-years), and their children, nine-year-old Spencer, seven-year-old Eliza and six-year-old Xavier were there for the special Facetime call. 

Luke’s connection to the club runs deep, with his grandfather, Laurie Davies, playing for North in 1940. He was the 265th Shinboner to don the royal blue and white stripes. 

“I’m a very passionate man and I’m very optimistic that this rebuild is the one that gets us going if we can get it right,” Luke said. 

“I’m all about sustainability, so long term measures put in place are very important. I think it’s a great appointment having you [Noble] on board.”

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Noble said he was committed to bringing an exciting brand of football to the club’s members and fans.

“We want to play a brand that our fans want to come and see,” he told the family.

“The fundamentals of finals football is what we’re trying to encapsulate and train around, because that’s ultimately what we’re trying to get to … ultimately to play and be successful in finals.”

North CEO Ben Amarfio said the club had a firm view on its direction and encouraged members and supporters to stand strong.

“Our members are the lifeblood of our club and we are so grateful for their continued support.  Our members stuck with us last year and we have built on that foundation and surpassed last year’s membership total,” he said. 

“Celebrating 40,000 members after a year like no other is a testament to our club’s devoted supporters.

“It goes to show the strength and loyalty of our supporter base and the belief they have in our club going forward.

“We’ve spoken openly about our rebuild and we don’t expect that our progression will be linear.  There will be setbacks I’m sure, but we are striving for an upward trend on-field and we will be prepared for any challenges along the way.  

“Even at this very early stage we have already started to see some growth and improvement from our young squad.  

“This will surely continue as our young team develops and becomes more accustomed to our new game plan, under ‘Nobes’.

“The on-field rewards will come but in the meantime, I want to say a huge thank you to our current and new members for jumping on board and turning up to our games to cheer us on.”

The club also surpassed its AFLW membership record, with 1,401 members.