AFL

Alastair Clarkson is no longer the coach of the North Melbourne after he was sacked on Wednesday.

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The iconic four-time Hawthorn premiership coach leaves the Kangaroos after winning only 20 of 82 games in charge, according to multiple reports.

A statement from North Melbourne made it clear the club instigated the decision to part ways with Clarkson, thanking him for helping to stabilise the organisation but revealing they wanted better results from the team.

“We asked Alastair to give our club stability and strength and help return us to the top of the AFL ladder,” Club President Dr Sonja Hood AM said. 

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“Four years later, we have created an environment where our staff and players want to be at our club. This is a testament to the culture Alastair has helped create and the belief that he has built in this group.

“Although we have clearly made progress and won more games, we won’t shy away from our desire to want more from this talented group.

“We are incredibly grateful to Alastair for the work he’s done over the last four years and we wish him all the very best for his next chapter.”

In a press conference last month, Clarkson indicated that his future at North Melbourne was not set in stone and that his tenure at the club could end quite easily.

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“All I require is a handshake and a wink and a nod, and that’ll do me,” Clarkson said in August.

“We’ll work our way through whatever we need to do.

“I’m really here to serve the footy club … it’s not just me, but those that are in leadership positions at the club have done a really good job stabilising the footy club.

“We’re really keen to progress and get ourselves up the ladder, but all we do know is that that’s done best when you’ve got stability.”

Clarkson was appointed North Melbourne coach in 2023, leading the club to finish 17th (2023), 17th (2024), 16th (2025) and 14th this season.

The team won nine matches in 2026 and at one stage looked a great chance to finish in the top 10 before fading late in the season.

Clarkson became a legendary coach at Hawthorn, winning four premierships in 17 seasons, qualifying for 10 finals series in that time.

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