Alastair Clarkson and North Melbourne part ways after four AFL seasons
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- North Melbourne ended Alastair Clarkson’s tenure after four AFL seasons, despite his contract running through 2027.
- Clarkson won 20 of 82 matches with the Kangaroos and did not guide them to the finals.
- North Melbourne finished 14th in 2026 with nine wins, its strongest season under Clarkson and its best since 2019.
North Melbourne has parted ways with Alastair Clarkson after four AFL seasons, ending a tenure that never delivered the finals appearance the club wanted.
Clarkson arrived at Arden Street after North Melbourne finished with back-to-back wooden spoons in 2021 and 2022, following a second-last finish in 2020. The coach, who guided Hawthorn to four premierships, was contracted through 2027, but the Kangaroos chose to end his tenure early.
His record at North Melbourne stood at 20 wins from 82 AFL matches, including nine victories in the 2026 season. That campaign represented the club’s best under Clarkson and its most successful season since 2019, but North still finished 14th on the ladder.
The Kangaroos have now gone a decade without reaching the finals. Their last finals campaign produced consecutive preliminary-final appearances in 2015 and 2016 under Brad Scott.
About this summary
Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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