Roos coach Alastair Clarkson says Collingwood is gifted dream MCG fixture after “home” loss to Freo

North Melbourne’s first year playing home games in Western Australia has come and gone, and Alastair Clarkson says while it may have cost them a win against the Dockers, it’s a necessary risk.

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson admits rival heavyweight Collingwood is “gifted” a dream home fixture but has declared the club’s WA trip a roaring success.

The Roos were one straight kick away from eight premiership points and a $2.5 million windfall after a six-point loss to Fremantle in the first year of their three-year WA deal.

Clarkson admitted that while the Dockers had some kind of home advantage for what was technically a North home game, the Roos were determined to think outside the square to stay afloat financially.

North Melbourne’s players enjoyed their 10 days away staying in Bunbury and Fremantle building their culture and emerged with an Eagles win and renewed confidence in their brand.

The Roos were brave in defeat in the second of their WA “home” games. Picture: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos via Getty Images

With 29 inside 50 tackles and 60 inside 50s against the Dockers, they are building a sustainable brand leading into a Saturday clash against the Blues.

Carlton spanked North Melbourne on Good Friday but Clarkson is enthused by the last seven performances since that clash.

Since round 5 the Roos have played in the Barossa Valley, Docklands, Adelaide Oval, Hobart, the MCG, Bunbury and Optus Stadium.

Clarkson says his club has always had to find ways to stay alive financially even if clubs like Collingwood rarely stray far from home.

“Did Fremantle get some sort of an advantage out of the home ground? Possibly but we gave ourselves every chance and if we continue to play footy like that we will win games of footy no matter where it is played,” he said.

“I would like to be like the Pies and play at the MCG most weeks. I ran into Scott Pendlebury on the plane when I came back from the Hall of Fame on Wednesday. He was laughing about the amount we have had to travel compared to the gifts they get playing at the MCG on a regular basis. The Collingwood side are able to generate revenue from crowds and North aren’t in that position at this current time.

“We need to get on the road and play our games in Tassie, in this case WA and we are happy to do so. If we don’t it puts the competition and our club in a perilous state if we can’t balance the books.

“It’s an important part of any organisation and we are happy to do so and if we had got all the things right in our game we would have won this game of footy and we just didn’t get there.”

The Roos spent time with ex-North Melbourne players including Adam Simpson, Dani Laidley, Drew Petrie and Winston Abraham during their time out west and also interacted with the club coterie members who flew west.

Next year they will also return two extra home games back to Melbourne from Hobart to reduce their travel burden.

The Roos were miserable in their 82 point Good Friday loss against the Blues but have boosted their inside 50 numbers from around 45 per game.

A North Melbourne team capable of dashing, explosive football before going missing is now playing a more sustainable game plan.

“We think we have changed a few things and that will be the real test for us. How much difference do the alterations we have made to the way we play improve us from Good Friday to next week’s game? So I am going to enjoy having a look at that contrast and see how we go.”

Originally published as Roos coach Alastair Clarkson says Collingwood is gifted dream MCG fixture after “home” loss to Freo