‘When is it going to change?’: North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson speaks out on violence

Australia has been rocked with horrific scenes in Ballarat and Sydney, with North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson calling for something to be done to ’stand up against it’.

Emotional North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has challenged the Australian community to crack down on the senseless violence that has rocked Sydney and Ballarat.

Clarkson, whose Kangaroos wore black armbands against Geelong to honour former player Kerry Good’s daughter Ashlee – a victim of Saturday’s Bondi shopping centre knife massacre – said society can no longer tolerate such atrocities.

“It’s really difficult for the Good family to have to deal with that tragedy, obviously, and it is difficult for us all to deal with,” Clarkson fumed.

“I am just fed up with it to be fair, we’ve (also) got three families in Ballarat grieving … when is it actually going to change?’’

Clarkson said it was time to “stand up against it’’.

“In this country it shouldn’t happen like this,’’ he said.

“We need to do something about it and it’s not just one person, it needs to be in a whole heap of people that galvanise.

Alastair Clarkson has spoken about serious violence which has rocked Australia. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images.

“Our judicial system doesn’t (act strongly enough).

“So many times these incidents happen and it’s like, ‘Oh, he was out on bail, or parole, or whatever’ and it’s just like, ‘God, it’s got to stop, it’s got to stop’.

“It is about humanity.’

“And that poor little girl, Harriet (Good) without her mum now – she was a beautiful, beautiful lady.

“What a tragedy. A bloody tragedy.”

In a statement, North Melbourne said the club would rally around Good’s father Kerry, who played 74 games and is a former director.

“Like all Australians, we were horrified to see the awful details coming out of Sydney on Saturday,” club president Sonja Hood said.

“To learn later that Ashlee and her daughter were victims in this tragedy really brings something like this close to home.

“Kerry and his family are incredibly important people in our club’s history and we offer them our love and support through what is an unimaginably difficult time.”

Originally published as ‘When is it going to change?’: North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson speaks out on violence