North Melbourne coach Brad Scott says heated criticism from club greats stings.
But Scott says he won't be distracted from the task of bouncing back from a horror start to the AFL season.
Retired North greats Wayne Carey and David King have been among pundits to this week sink the proverbial boot into the Kangaroos, who are bottom of the ladder with just one win.
Carey said North was becoming irrelevant while King reckoned the club had lost its famed Shinboner spirit.
"It certainly stings when it's one of your own saying that," Scott told reporters on Thursday.
"But we have been in some really challenging situations over a long period of time.
"That is largely what this club is built on: it has been built through adversity.
"So when we are doing it tough, there's only one way that this club responds.
"That is to double down our effort, double down on our work ethic and focus on what is right in front of us and fight our way through."
Scott wasn't surprised at the heat being put on the Kangaroos.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion," he said.
"When you're one (win) and four (losses) you're going to have lots of accusations directed your way, that s just the nature of the industry we're in.
"We just can't get distracted (from) what is right in front of us and what is right in front of us now is a really important game against Port Adelaide in Adelaide."
The Roos meet Port at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
