AFL 2024: No hard feelings between North Melbourne, Todd Goldstein and Ben McKay
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson says he’s happy for his former players, but will Kangaroos supporters feel the same on Sunday?
AFL
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A magnanimous Alastair Clarkson wants Ben McKay and Todd Goldstein to be treated like “great servants of our footy club” when they face North Melbourne for the first time on Sunday.
Clarkson said he bore no ill will towards the pair after their departures to Essendon as free agents last year, observing their decisions looked like “really good ones” given the Bombers’ success.
McKay and Goldstein have played every game for the Bombers in their 6-1-2 start to the season after the former never played in more than four wins in a single season at Arden Street.
The coach of the winless Kangaroos said the pair had done “the professional thing” by exercising free agency and chasing success.
His comments came as forward Cam Zurhaar looks set to explore free agency at the season’s end.
“Right to this point, their decisions have been really good ones, particularly in Goldy’s case,” Clarkson said.
“(Goldstein) has played a lot of footy for the one club and wanted that opportunity right in the twilight of his career … because of the time we wanted to put into (Tristan) Xerri, we couldn’t guarantee that Goldy was going to play frequently.
“Obviously through the Essendon system, they could guarantee more opportunity for him, and he’s made the most of that chance, particularly with Draper out now.
“Somewhere in the last two weeks, I think he passed the record for 10,000 hit-outs in AFL footy … he’s been an extraordinary player at AFL level and he continues to be that.”
Clarkson said there was “not really” added motivation for the Kangaroos to chase their first win of the season against their former teammates.
“Both of them effectively took advantage of the free agency they were both entitled to, and right to this point their decisions have been really, really good ones,” he said.
“We’re really pleased for both those lads, they made contributions at our footy club and they did the professional thing in a sense – that’s assess their careers, took advantage of the free-agency clause that was available to them and opted to go to another club.
“While we’ll be competitors (on Sunday), they’ve been great servants of our footy club and we wish them well.”
Originally published as AFL 2024: No hard feelings between North Melbourne, Todd Goldstein and Ben McKay
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