Alastair Clarkson: Essendon offer came too late, says new North Melbourne coach

Alastair Clarkson took Essendon’s call out of respect but the master coach admits the Bombers left their audacious bid far too late.

And the 54-year-old says he’s confident he can restore North Melbourne to contention quickly amid his excitement at returning to the “special club” where he spent most of his playing career.

Clarkson fronted a press conference on Friday morning (WA time) just hours after being confirmed as the Kangaroos’ new coach on a five-year deal.

The signing brought an end to a tumultuous week that saw Essendon axe president Paul Brasher in a late bid to try to lure the four-time premiership coach.

But Clarkson said the push from the Bombers came too late.

“That’s something that came from left-field, and it’s probably out of respect for the Essendon club that I needed to listen to what they had to say,” Clarkson said.

Camera Icon Clarkson at Arden St. Credit: Darrian Traynor/via AFL Photos

“It was really out of respect for those people that I had to repay that respect in a dignified way to see what they at least had to say.”

A noted perfectionist, Clarkson had been carefully weighing up the vacant positions at North and the Giants for more than a month.

“The due diligence required to actually consider coaching a club takes a hell of a lot more than four days for me,” Clarkson said.

“They’ve just ran out of time, different set of circumstances and a different time, who knows.

“We were so far down the track with the North Melbourne and GWS decisions that that whole process just came far too late to give it really serious consideration.”

Clarkson expressed his disappointment at the circumstances Essendon coach Ben Rutten has had to endure, with the current Bombers coach’s future set to be decided after Saturday’s clash with Richmond.

“It really disappoints me what’s unfolded with Truck (Rutten) out at the Bombers,” Clarkson said.

“He’s a good man, and a good football person. I hope somehow that can be resurrected.”

Clarkson said he didn’t view the Kangaroos’ rebuild as a long-term project.

“As we’ve seen with Collingwood and Carlton… it doesn’t take much to turn it around,” he said.

“You get the right people, the right vision and all people marching to the same tune, you can pick things up pretty quickly.”