Coach Zane Littlejohn- Assistant coach (Strategy) - Welcome to North Melbourne

[Sticksphat]

Yep

I will be 77

 

[gerry101101]

So we have Big Game Zane and Little John Zane.

Just need Medium Gain Zane now for the full set, and then we’ll have a monopoly on Zanes. And can build hotels on them.

 

[Val Keating]

Lynch is now Head of Development. Barlow is the mid coach.

Yeah my bad. Still happy with him

 

[Gasometer]

coaching department needed a shake up. Hopefully this change up is the start of the improvement.

Don’t mind Lynch as midfield coach either. I haven’t been down to training for a couple of years, but when I did go for a look, Lynch wasnt shy about letting players know if he wasn’t happy if he thought they weren’t doing what was expected. I specifically remember him being exasperated with McKay after he was out marked a few times.

I really like Patch, but I reckon he was a bit too friendly with the boys.

I was talking to a * Member a couple of weeks back and hadn’t paid much attention to Magoo at North and was horrified at how ineffective he was in pack contests

 

[Limerick]

Yep

I will be 77

F**k I'll be 98

 

[krakouers]

F**k I'll be 98

Some tough posters to have gone through the last few years and push hard to 3 figures….
I’ve aged 20 years in the last three seasons …

 

[Zondor]

Care for the ball Littlejohn says. He should have fun pushing that message down at Hardon Street. :stern look

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Care for the ball Littlejohn says. He should have fun pushing that message down at Hardon Street. :stern look

Whenever you're around a Hardon, you should definitely care for the balls

 

[shinboner magic]

Some tough posters to have gone through the last few years and push hard to 3 figures….
I’ve aged 20 years in the last three seasons …

You look it

 

[Twinkletoes]

Whenever you're around a Hardon, you should definitely care for the balls

TM Tender Touch New Staff Handbook

 

[krakouers]

You look it

Wholeheartedly agree…

 

[Rod Stroker]

Zane; "WE GOTTA HAVE STANDARDS!!"

Jy; "What's that?"

 

[Rod Stroker]

ROOS COACHING REJIG​

NORTH Melbourne has rejigged its coaching structure around Alastair Clarkson, with the Kangaroos in the market for two development coaches.

Michael Barlow has been promoted to midfield coach, replacing [PLAYERCARD]Leigh Adams[/PLAYERCARD] who departed at the end of the season.

Tom Lynch has replaced Barlow as head of development at Arden Street.

Development coach Adam Marcon has replaced Lynch as VFL coach in 2026.

North Melbourne has appointed Zane Littlejohn as a strategy coach to work with Clarkson.

Littlejohn spent the past three years coaching Box Hill in the VFL and working at Hawthorn in development.

The Tasmanian also coached the state team in 2024 and 2025, after starting in the AFL system with six years at Brisbane. – Josh Gabelich

I...don't really get this. Last year a lot of noise was made about Barlow being new Head of Development, how great he was going to be, etc. And now 12 months on, he's out of the role? why?

 

[amaz199]

So many jokes can be made here.

 

[Mordecai]

AFL SportsReady paving the way to university, success and beyond!

AFL SportsReady congratulates former trainee after taking out the University of Tasmania’s Teaching Excellence Award. Zane Littlejohn is one of a select group of students and graduates recognised in the annual Southern Cross Young Achiever Awards, aimed at acknowledging and promoting the...

aflsportsready.com.au

Pretty impressive - 26 years old at that time and clearly knew what he wanted.

Zane Littlejohn Podcast

Zane Littlejohn quickly established his credentials winning back-to-back premierships with North Launceston.

tasmaniafc.com

State league senior coach at 24. Will give that a listen later.

Would pick Nankervis and Toby Greene as his first picks for starting a new Tassie team.

Brendon Bolton and Dale Tapping (RIP) his role models.

 

[Roostorm]

Welcome Littlejohn ..Oooh he’s going to be fun…at last a coach that sounds like his not afraid to call it as it is….care for the ball and do the team thing…..l can’t wait for him to crack in with this group….

On a side note lve seen a few ask for Mr hood to join….now where’s Friar Tuck…could work with monkey in the ruck ..
At last something to look fwd to next year.

 

[koshari]

I'd rather a Bigjohn than a Littlejohn. :stern look

Welcome to the circus.

Personally I are fond of demijohns

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

I...don't really get this. Last year a lot of noise was made about Barlow being new Head of Development, how great he was going to be, etc. And now 12 months on, he's out of the role? why?

He was promoted?

 

[Gasometer]

I...don't really get this. Last year a lot of noise was made about Barlow being new Head of Development, how great he was going to be, etc. And now 12 months on, he's out of the role? why?

Promotion?

 

[Rod Stroker]

He was promoted?

Promotion?

after 1 year? because our development was outstanding?

I'd have thought we'd want the same person in that role for more than 12 months.

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

after 1 year? because our development was outstanding?

I'd have thought we'd want the same person in that role for more than 12 months.

Bit more to it than how many games we won with the youngest list in the comp. Surely you can look a bit deeper than that.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Bit more to it than how many games we won with the youngest list in the comp. Surely you can look a bit deeper than that.

I didn't mention anything about wins or losses.

My point is that we installed a guy last year who apparently had big wraps on him for development, but now 12 months later he's out of that role and now replaced with a new development head. If Barlow was "the guy" I'd have expected he would have stuck it out for more than 12 months, have the same guy own the program for continuity, etc.

 

[dus]

Making changes.

That in itself is good.

 

[Skarrz]

I didn't mention anything about wins or losses.

My point is that we installed a guy last year who apparently had big wraps on him for development, but now 12 months later he's out of that role and now replaced with a new development head. If Barlow was "the guy" I'd have expected he would have stuck it out for more than 12 months, have the same guy own the program for continuity, etc.

Or he’s promoted cause he’s held in high regard, same as Tom Lynch clearly is?

 

[King Corey]

Perhaps being primed to be Clarko’s successor?

It's hard to shake this thought after you read it.

He seems like a guy who could take his pick of assistant grade roles, to leave a strong program to come to us is curious.

Even if not we must've done a decent sales job.