The weight of the Hawthorn racism scandal held Alastair Clarkson back from progressing North Melbourne

After four weeks of smashings pressure is building on a four-time premiership defence who has earned a strong defence from a key club ally.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 18: Alastair Clarkson, Senior Coach of the Kangaroos speaks during a press conference following the round six AFL match between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Carlton Blues at Marvel Stadium, on April 18, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

North Melbourne football boss Todd Viney says two years of “distractions” for coach Alastair Clarkson as he dealt with historical claims of racism took an “enormous toll” and defended the premiership winner’s lack of progression with the Kangaroos.

After a round 3 win over Melbourne suggested a leap up the ladder, Clarkson’s men have lost four straight games, all by more than 50 points, including a Good Friday thumping by Carlton.

As North slipped to a 1-5 record, Clarkson, a four-time premiership coach at Hawthorn, has come under criticism which Viney labelled “unwarranted” despite having won just four of the past 29 games.

Adamant the club won’t be “fractured” by outside noise, Viney went in to bat for Clarkson who endured but was cleared of any wrongdoing after claims of historical racism at the Hawks went all the way to the Federal Court before being settled.

“We well and truly know the previous two years and what that’s dealt, and not many cubs can really perform at their best when they’ve got such distractions going on,” Viney said.

Pressure is building on Alastair Clarkson after a 1-5 start to the season. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

“You can look at many clubs over a period of time when they have stuff going on they don’t perform at their best.

“He’s had enormous distractions, unwarranted criticism, judged unfairly, its taken an enormous toll on him over those two years.

“Eventually we’re into this third year, he’s two years and six games in and he’s a rejuvenated person, back to his old self, a lot of energy, seeing the game as well as he’s ever seen it. To support him we’ve got unbelievable people within the footy department.

“From my point of view as head of football, he sees the game as well as he ever has, the coaches forever tell me that he sees stuff that we don’t see. His attention to detail, his eye for the game, the understanding, his innovation which has always been lauded over the journey is still there.”

Viney said Clarkson couldn’t be “too innovative” in his third year in charge because he was still building the team and lashed the “tall poppy syndrome” in Australian sport.

“We are in building blocks. We’re not in the position to be too innovative because we’re still trying to get the fundamentals of our game plan right, but that is coming,” he told SEN.

Alastair Clarkson and Todd Viney (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

“Then we add players to that as we go forward.

“I think the criticism is really unwarranted. I think it’s a bit of a sport, the coach-bashing thing, it’s a tall-poppy syndrome which is the Australian culture, we pick on the guys who have been successful and in time ultimately bring them down.”

“We’re a really strong club, we’ve got a lot of things put in place really well with our unity, our Board, our executives, our football department, record membership again, profit.

“So a lot of things are going well so we won’t be fractured, we won’t fall into jumping at shadows with all of the noise, we understand the game gives us nothing and we need to deserve to win games.”

North Melbourne returns to Adelaide this weekend for a clash with Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Originally published as The weight of the Hawthorn racism scandal held Alastair Clarkson back from progressing North Melbourne