AFL 2022: North Melbourne hopes ties to club he played at sways Alastair Clarkson to coach them

Essendon is a bigger club than North Melbourne, but the Kangaroos have two things the Bombers don’t in the hunt for Alastair Clarkson.

Former Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is in demand. Picture: Brendan Beckett

North Melbourne is now tugging at the “heartstrings” of Alastair Clarkson in the hope the pull of coaching the club where he started his playing career can turn the master coach towards joining them and not Essendon.

It comes as the man who replaced him at Hawthorn, Sam Mitchell, said Clarkson would be keen on “stability”, which has been in short supply at the Bombers this week.

The four-time AFL premiership winner has been offered a five-year deal by the Kangaroos and looked certain to be heading to Arden St before tumult at Essendon put the Bombers on his radar.

There have been mixed reports about the timeline for a decision, with some suggestions North has put a deadline on Clarkson while others say that’s not the case.

But caretaker coach Leigh Adams, who will coach the Kangaroos for the sixth and likely final time this Saturday, having replaced David Noble mid-season, hoped Clarkson could reflect on his playing days and consider that when he made his decision.

Clarkson began his football career back in 1987 at North Melbourne and played 93 of his 134 AFL games there before finishing his career at Melbourne.

“I think it would be fantastic if he was to come to our footy club, but if he doesn‘t then we’ll get the next best person in,” Adams said on Wednesday.

“Whoever does end up getting the coaching job is going to get a pretty unique group that we feel has got some real talent and can get up the ladder.

EXCLUSIVE: Alastair Clarkson has made a surprise trip to Adelaide. The premiership-winning coach is considered hot property at North Melbourne and Essendon. Details in 7NEWS Adelaide at 4pm and 6pm | https://t.co/qKlpCbghId#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/Uc7Ibva7bg

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) August 17, 2022

“I‘m not 100 per cent sure what (Clarkson’s) weighing up, but I know he’s got some great people inside this footy club, not just players but our staff in here are fantastic.

“Hopefully, it pulls on the heart strings a little bit that he was a former player here and he understands the culture and people within this place.”

The Kangaroos have put all their eggs in the Clarkson basket to be their next coach, but Essendon has made a late and strong push, with a growing consensus the master coach may decide the Bombers are a better fit for him.

But Mitchell, who was a premiership captain under Clarkson in 2008 and his assistant coach at the Hawks before taking on the top job this year, said the ructions at board level this week at Essendon, with president Paul Brasher stepping down, could be a red flag.

“I know he’d be big on stability. He’d want to make sure everyone is wanting the same thing, whether that’s the board or the administration or the football department,” Mitchell said.

“He’s always been big on stability. It’s more than a $1mn question, what Clarko is thinking. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.”

Mitchell said Clarkson would have no issue taking on the longer-term project at North, who are set to finish 2022 on the bottom of the ladder.

“I don’t think passion has even been Clarko’s problem,” he said.

“He’ll never have too many concerns about having that passion to drive something from the start to the finish.”

Originally published as AFL 2022: North Melbourne hopes ties to club he played at sways Alastair Clarkson to coach them