NORTH Melbourne coach Dean Laidley has paid tribute to Mick Nolan, saying he was one of a very select group of Kangaroos players.

Nolan, who played in the club's first premiership in 1975, passed away in Brisbane on Tuesday at the age of 58 after a short battle with cancer. The Kangaroos head north to play the Lions this weekend, and a tribute to the genial giant is planned for the Sunday, with more than 300 people expected to attend.

"We only have 40-odd premiership players, and Mick was certainly one of them, and we need to treat them all like gold," Laidley said on Wednesday.

"He, along with that team, I think really trail-blazed our football club's destiny over the last 30 years, the way they went about it, and it's something that the whole club's learned from.

"It's a sad occasion, and myself and the players have spoken about it this morning. This would have been the last time he would have seen us play, and unfortunately that's not going to occur. But we're going to make sure we put our best foot forward, certainly for his family, and just for the way the football club's evolved since our first premiership."