An emotional David Noble says his axing as coach of North Melbourne is the "right call" for himself and the struggling AFL club.
Noble will depart the Kangaroos after a stretch of 14 consecutive losses and delivering only five wins in 38 games over 18 months.
He says he put his "heart and soul" into the role.
"I would have liked to have brought more success to the club ... but it wasn't to be," Noble told reporters on Tuesday.
"The scoreboard doesn't make great reading.
"I am not surprised. The numbers haven't been great."
Noble coached the Kangaroos for less than two seasons - they finished bottom last season and again are at the foot of the ladder this year, with only one victory.
Assistant coach Leigh Adams will be interim coach for the rest of the season, starting with Saturday's clash against Richmond.
Noble's tenure was increasingly insecure given the string of poor results and early-season ructions with players when he apologised for giving them a heated spray.
Kangaroos players assembled at the club's Arden Street headquarters to watch Tuesday's media conference where Noble attended alongside North president Sonja Hood and chief executive officer Ben Amarfio.
Hood described Noble's departure as a "mutual decision".
"It's a tough day for David ... and our entire club," Hood said.
She said Noble had been tasked with making the Roos competitive against the league's power clubs.
"Put simply, we have failed to live up to those expectations," Hood said.
The pressure on Noble intensified when North brought in former administrator Geoff Walsh to review the football department late last month.
Noble remained steadfast that he was the man for the job, saying after last Saturday's loss to Collingwood that he believed in what he was doing as coach and also in the playing group.
But he was axed at crisis meetings on Monday night by a club which was also rocked in May when national recruiting manager Mark Finnigan and list manager Glenn Luff walked out on the club.
North are certain to approach four-time Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, who played for the Roos.
Clarkson, taking a year away from coaching, has spoken to GWS about taking on their vacant head coaching job from next season but is yet to signal his intentions.
