North Melbourne bosses’ Alastair Clarkson backhanded clip as payout revealed

North Melbourne will open their doors to all potential candidates as they begin their search for a new coach following the sacking of Alastair Clarkson on Wednesday .

President Dr Sonja Hood fronted the media to explain the club’s decision and appeared to give a backhanded clip to the departed Clarkson.

The four-time premiership coach was contracted until the end of 2027, but the club confirmed his departure in a shock move at the end of another disappointing season.

Speculation immediately linked club greats and former coaches Adam Simpson and John Longmire to the role, but Hood said the club aren’t targeting anyone in particular.

“Just to be really clear, we don’t have a pre-supposed idea for our next coach,” Hood said on Wednesday.

“So last time we chased the best person for the job. This time round our club’s in a very different position, our list is in a very different position, and we will let the market put up the best coach for this club.

“So we’ll make an announcement sometime next week on the process that that’ll take. But we will be looking for the best person to coach the North Melbourne football.”

When asked specifically about what sort of coach they need, Hood appeared to give a clip to Clarkson by suggesting he isn’t the man to coach in the modern game.

“This club needs a coach who can coach for the modern game,” she said.

“It’ll be a coach who knows what they’re doing, and it’ll be the coach who’s the best fit for this club.”

Hood added that they hoped to have the appointment finalised before the trade period, but said nothing would change if it wasn’t.

“If we do, we do, but we’ve got a really strong football department and a very aligned football department, so that doesn’t change,” she said.

Football boss Todd Viney added: “Our strategy around the list management and our targets has been in place for a period of time. We don’t see the appointment of the coach to have any impact on that. Our needs would be clear to most, and we’re a long way down the path with those players.”

The club said Clarkson no longer had the belief from enough people to take them forward, and players were confused by the gameplan.