North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley says the credit for his team's stunning improvement in recent week lies with the players rather than him.
Carlton coach Brett Ratten described Laidley this week as the toughest coach to come up against in the AFL - after being on the receiving end of a 51 point hiding from the Roos last week, which ended the Blues' finals hopes.
But as the in-form Kangaroos prepare for their toughest test of the season - against reigning premier and flag favourites Geelong at Skilled Stadium - Laidley admits to being surprised to learn of Ratten's words of praise for him.
"I would have thought the players' actions out on the ground were much more important than my input on last weekend," he said on Thursday.
But a day earlier Ratten gave a rare insight into the world of the coaches' box, describing Laidley as a formidable opponent these days.
"I think the hardest coach I have had to coach against and even a bit last year is Dean Laidley," Ratten said.
"Tactically and with his playing group he gets the best out of them and to a man they are very good."
"I am not underestimating the other coaches but I think Laidley - maybe his team is in career best form but he personally is in career best form as well.
Laidley, who is now in his sixth year as coach having already led the Kangaroos to a surprise preliminary final appearance last season and another finals appearance in 2005, says he has no doubt he has become a better coach as he has gained more experience.
"I think if I look back at it now 'am I a better coach than I was three years ago' - the answer is yes - and 'am I going to be a better coach in the next three years', well I would like to think so," he said.
Laidley said his players had helped him enormously.
"From the day I walked into the place the playing group has been very coachable," he said.
And Laidley said what has delighted him about his side's efforts this year is they are on the verge of matching last year's effort of finishing in the top four but with a much younger side.
"With the guys we have bought into the team and the changes we have made to the preliminary final team last year (which lost to Port Adelaide) - that was one of our main aims to reinvigorate the side and to get some improvement from within and we have been able to do that."