AFL news: Alastair Clarkson brings band back together as Todd Viney appointed as footy boss

Master coach Alastair Clarkson is bringing the band back together at North Melbourne as three key figures have departed.

Alastair Clarkson is officially putting the band back together after the Roos moved on four staffers and confirmed Todd Viney’s new role as North Melbourne’s football boss.

Four-time premiership coach Clarkson has successfully lured Viney to Arden Street with an overarching football role in yet another coup for the Kangaroos.

Former Melbourne player Viney brings vast football experience across playing, coaching, interim coaching, recruiting and general common sense in an industry where the last quality is often in short supply.

He was lured to Hawthorn under Clarkson from 2005 to 2008, then after the club’s premiership victory worked at Adelaide, then Melbourne as a development boss, caretaker coach and manager of player personnel.

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Alastair Clarkson is bringing band back together. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The decision to secure Viney, who has already been spotted at Arden St this week, means the Roos have made the tough decision to part ways with current football boss Dan McPherson.

McPherson was the highly credentially Melbourne football manager who was poached only last year, but he moves on alongside assistant coaches Heath Younie, Anthony Rocca and head of medical services Clint Frazer.

McPherson shared his role with Brady Rawlings, who ran the recruiting and trade side of the club, and while Rawlings remains he will now report to Viney.

Viney will start work part-time at the club in coming days then commence full time along with Clarkson from November 1.

The pair will cost the club well over $1 million in salaries but for the Roos it will hopefully be a small price to pay for stability and success in a year when the football department cap is set to rise.

North Melbourne chief executive Ben Amarfio lauded Viney’s appointment at the club.

“Todd is a widely respected figure of the game with great football nous, and he will be a huge asset to our club,” he said.

“Todd’s vast experience in a range of football roles has given him an understanding of all aspects of the game. We look forward to him leading our football program and working alongside Alastair.”

Anthony Rocca has moved on from his role as assistant coach. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

President Sonja Hood said this week Amarfio had many significant commercial responsibilities to continue to work through as the club resists backing him in with an emphatic statement of support.

But Viney’s strong football pedigree means Amarfio can continue to work on many of the club’s commercial responsibilities and Arden St development safe in the knowledge Viney has control of the football element of the club.

It seems likely interim coach Leigh Adams will remain at the club next year but Clarkson is yet to work through his assistant coaching delegation.

St Kilda’s David Rath and Carlton fitness boss Andrew Russell are long-time confidantes but will remain at their clubs.

Behind-the-scenes guru ruled out of top job at Roos

— Jon Ralph

North Melbourne says former Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson has been a valuable behind-the-scenes consultant for the club, but will not take on a formal role at Arden St.

Essendon and Demons CEO Jackson helped out new president Sonja Hood in recent months after being introduced by North Melbourne adviser and ex-Melbourne coach Paul Roos.

North Melbourne’s current chief executive Ben Amarfio continues in his role for the time being, but as the Herald Sun reported on Saturday, he is likely to move on at some stage in the future.

Hood sidestepped any ongoing commitment to Amarfio in her weekend press interviews despite citing his role helping the club become debt free as it continues to redevelop the Arden precinct.

Ben Amarfio congratulates Leigh Adams after a win.

Jackson has been a valuable sounding board for Hood and the North Melbourne board as they pursued new coach Alastair Clarkson with a single-minded focus.

While Amarfio’s role will remain a subject of discussion, Hood said on Monday night the current chief executive had many significant projects to work on.

“I reached out to Peter Jackson on behalf of the club board before we started formal conversations with Alastair Clarkson and his manager some weeks ago,” Hood said.

“Peter was recommended to us by Paul Roos and he has provided great counsel for me and the board since that initial meeting. Peter has never been a paid consultant to the club but he is someone we will seek guidance from as we embark on the next stage of the club’s journey.

“As far as the CEO’s role is concerned, Ben Amarfio played a key role in securing Alastair Clarkson and he will continue that work as we begin to assemble the team around Alastair.

“There are a number of other big ticket items on the club’s agenda — completing the latest stage of our $8m Arden St redevelopment, launching our Future Fund, securing the priority draft selection assistance package from the AFL, re-signing major partners Spirit of Tasmania and AIA, embedding the club in the Arden precinct masterplan, implementing the recommendations of the Geoff Walsh report, surpassing 50,000 members, to name a few. Ben will play a key role in all of those projects.”

Peter Jackson during his stint as CEO with the Demons.

Roos boss facing uncertain future

– Glenn McFarlane

The future of North Melbourne chief executive Ben Amarfio is uncertain after president Sonja Hood sidestepped a question about whether he would retain the role next season.

Amarfio was in the room watching on as Hood announced Alastair Clarkson as the next Kangaroos coach.

But he did not officially take part in the Clarkson press conference, as he did alongside Hood when former coach David Noble departed the club early last month.

Asked if the CEO would still be in his role next season, Hood said: “Ben Amarfio has done an absolutely fantastic job of getting the club to where it is with its incredibly strong off-field performance. I think today is absolutely testament to that.”

Pressed further about why he was not a part of the press conference, she added: “We took a decision as a club as to how we were going to run this process. I was the spokesperson and out front of this process, but Ben has been involved every step of the way.”

It is not known whether Amarfio will still be in the role when Clarkson begins his five-year coaching deal at Arden St.

Hood had confirmed earlier this year Amarfio’s job was secure in 2023.

Amarfio has been at the club since late 2019 when he took over the CEO role from Carl Dilena.

ADAMS: WHAT I HOPE CLARKO WILL BRING

Ronny Lerner

North Melbourne caretaker coach Leigh Adams was hopeful that the signing of new senior coach Alastair Clarkson would help the Kangaroos hold onto key players such as Cameron Zurhaar and Todd Goldstein.

The out-of-contract pair have been strongly rumoured to be weighing up offers from rival clubs for next season, but Adams was optimistic that the arrival of the four-time premiership coach would not only sway those two, but also attract players from rival clubs to join North in 2023.

“I think guys like that, without speaking for them, would be looking to see who the new coach was, and if it’s me, you can’t get a better one, so it would be making me sign,” Adams said following North Melbourne’s 67-point loss to Gold Coast on Saturday.

“I’m sure in the next couple of weeks, once they sit down with ‘Clarko’ and have those conversations that it’ll probably become a lot more apparent what they’re going to do.

“But I think, personally, it can only help with those signatures and hopefully a few guys at other clubs want to come as well because clearly we’ve got the best coach in the modern era.”

Leigh Adams hopes Cam Zurhaar can be convinced to stay a Roo.

Adams also believed the Kangaroos needed to bolster their on-field leadership in the off-season.

“Do I know who it’s with or what age group they need to be? No. I’m not 100 per cent sure, but some help for them would be great,” Adams said.

“Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald are doing a fantastic job as well, but they’re still developing … they’re still inexperienced in terms of leadership.

“If we can get some more mature guys that have come from good clubs that see the standards that need to be brought, I think it would be fantastic for our group.”

But Adams knows it’s going to take more than a few recruits from other clubs to help North Melbourne in the long run, and after “winning” their second wooden spoon in a row, he believes the case for a priority pick is strong.

“I think what you saw today (against Gold Coast) is we’re still a long way away in terms of consistency over a season,” he said.

“We’ve won two games this year, we won four games last year, if you put our body of work together, we’re still nowhere near where we need to be.”

Todd Goldstein’s future is uncertain at Arden St.

As for his own future at the club, Adams was none the wiser as to whether Clarkson would retain his services, but he was hopeful of remaining at Arden Street under the legendary former Hawthorn mentor.

“It’s basically up to ‘Clarko’ what he’s thinking in terms of what he wants to do with his staff,” Adams said.

“We’d hope sooner rather than later, we’d love to sit down and have a conversation with him so that our coaches can get some clarity on where they’re at because obviously it’s a really uncertain time for a lot of staff at our footy club.

“We’ll have a conversation about what he thinks my role looks like going forward if he thinks it’s with the footy club, I’d love it to be with the footy club.

“I’ve got such a passion for this footy club, I’ve spent 15 years here and I’ve basically grown up here and I love it.”

Adams said under Clarkson, North had to take their fundamentals of kicking, marking and handballing “to another level” if they wanted to be a “good football club”.