page_title: North Melbourne Football Club
section_title: 21st century
hierarchical_section_title: North Melbourne Football Club / Club history / 21st century
caption_attribution_description: English: Saverio Rocca, Australian rules footballer
context_page_description: The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos or less formally the Roos, the Kangas or North, is an Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier competition. Founded in the suburb of North Melbourne in 1869, it is based at its traditional home ground, Arden Street Oval, and currently plays its home matches at both the nearby Docklands Stadium and Blundstone Arena in Hobart, Tasmania.
  The club's mascot is a grey kangaroo donning the club uniform, and its use dates from the mid-20th century. The club is also unofficially known as "The Shinboners", a term which dates back to its 19th-century abattoir-worker origins. The club's motto is Victoria amat curam, Latin for "Victory Demands Dedication". Aside from their representation in the AFL, the Kangaroos also field teams in the following competitions; AFL Women's, VFL Women's and Victorian Football League.
context_section_description: The 21st century did not begin well for North Melbourne. Its decade-long onfield potency was in decline, questions were raised about its financial position and long-term sustainability. Furthermore, three of the people most important to the club's success in the 1990s left the club under acrimonious circumstances: CEO Greg Miller left the club, captain Wayne Carey left prior to the 2002 season following an extramarital affair with the wife of teammate and vice captain Anthony Stevens, coach Denis Pagan was lured to Carlton at the end of 2002. Pagan was replaced by 1996 premiership player Dean Laidley, who had previously been an Assistant Coach at Collingwood from 1999 until the end of season 2002.
  On a post-season holiday, several players were caught in the 2002 Bali bombing terrorist attack, notably defender Jason McCartney, who suffered second-degree burns to over 50% of his body while carrying others to safety and nearly died during surgery after being flown back to Melbourne. In what is regarded as one of the most inspirational stories of Australian rules football and Australian sport in general, McCartney successfully returned to action on 6 June 2003 against Richmond at Docklands Stadium. Playing at full forward, he took a mark in the final quarter, scored a goal from the resulting set shot and set up Leigh Harding's winning goal with two minutes remaining. McCartney retired immediately after the game, citing that his recovery had left him spent, and he was chaired from the ground. McCartney wore the numbers "88" and "202" on the front of his long-sleeved guernsey for the match, signifying the Australian and total number of victims of the Bali bombings, while many in the crowd bore signs reading "Bali 88/202".
  Onfield, the club reached the elimination finals in 2002 and 2005, but otherwise failed to reach the finals from 2001 until 2006.
  After two seasons of finals North Melbourne dropped to 13th in 2009, and coach Dean Laidley announced his resignation with Darren Crocker acting as caretaker coach for the rest of the season, to eventually be replaced by ex-Brisbane Lions premiership player and Collingwood assistant coach Brad Scott. A$15 million redevelopment of the Arden Street, which had started in 2006, was completed in 2009, giving the club top-class training facilities.
caption: Cult hero Sav Rocca led the goal kicking in the early 2000s.
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