Anthony Stevens puts a timeline on Kangaroos success

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Former North Melbourne captain Anthony Stevens believes the club will be able to challenge for a Premiership within four to five years.

Speaking on 3AW’s football podcast, Footy: Then and Now, Stevens said that he sees similarities with the club’s current position and Hawthorn in the early 2000s.

“The decision was to bottom out, go youth, go draft picks,” he said.

“We see when Alastair Clarkson took over from Hawthorn … what he went through, and to turn that football club around with the administration et cetera to be a four-time Premiership coach.

“There was a lot of hard yards that he went through, and a lot of criticism, and style of play … but they come out the other end.

“And I look at us, (it’s) very similar to what Alastair and Hawthorn went through over that period of time to get early draft picks and then all of sudden see some of the greats of all time”.

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Stevens also revealed he was singled-out at quarter time by coach Denis Pagan during the 1996 AFL Grand Final.

Pagan was unhappy that he had given away a few free-kicks which had resulted in goals for Sydney.

“Denis Pagan stormed on the ground and gave me a big cook,” Stevens said.

“Because basically I gave away a couple free kicks, which one or two of them resulted in a goal so I was the brunt of Dennis’ frustration at quarter time.”

North Melbourne went into the first break trailing Sydney by three goals 6.2 38 to 3.2 20, but were able to turn it around and ended up winning by 43 points.

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Image: Hamish Blair/ALLSPORT (Getty)