AFL: Ben Cunnington’s return to training after cancer battle gives battling Kangaroos a buzz

North Melbourne coach David Noble says a return to play for Ben Cunnington is still weeks away, but his return to training after his cancer battles has put a “real pep in the step” of players at the battling Kangaroos.

Cunnington, who hasn’t played since being diagnosed with testicular cancer late in the 2021 season, has been making incremental increases in his training loads since recovering from a nine-week course of chemotherapy to treat a secondary cancer diagnosis last November.

Those increases included a return to ball drills on Tuesday for the 30-year-old dual club best and fairest, a major step towards playing again.

While Noble was adamant that time was not soon, with Cunnington to go through another intense three-week block of training, he said the continued presence of the popular on-baller was having an effect on the North Melbourne players who have won just one game in 2022.

“It’s probably more now on loading. A few weeks would be best guess, but it’s put a real pep in our step,” he said on Thursday.

“The boys are excited to have him out there in main training drills. I’ve noticed the lift in myself.

“There are things he needs to tick off from a personal medical perspective … but he’s been really diligent. He’s been really stoic in his detail to his recovery.”

The Kangaroos are set to regain a host of important players for this week‘s clash with Adelaide, including Ben McKay and Cam Zurhaar, with Tarryn Thomas also set to be included having responded well to being sent back to the VFL according to Noble.

“He’s been terrific, he’s gone to work. He’s had some personal issues over the last couple of weeks as well,” Noble said.

“He understands and he just wants to improve and get better. If he trains well today he’ll be back in the team.”

Noble was adamant his team, which hasn’t lost by less than 47 points over the past nine weeks, had “got better in some areas”.

But he said it was important for his players to “get that winning feeling” again and it could come in Tasmania.

“It’s important nourishment that you get in understanding how to win and what that feels like,” he said.

“It’s important to feel what that winning feeling is about.

“We feel like we have made some ground on certain elements … we have some handy players coming back. We feel like we are adding more depth, that helps.”