North was ‘pivotal’ for Clarko 38 years ago after family tragedy. Now he wants to repay them

Watching the new North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson – it still feels surreal writing that – addressing reporters on Friday afternoon, it felt like he’d never left the club.

Just 18 hours after rejecting Essendon’s 11th-hour bid for his services and officially settling on North as his 2023 destination, Clarkson had already slipped into Kangaroos coaching mode, throwing plural pronouns as if he’d transitioned from Roos player to coach 27 days ago – not 27 years.

During his opening statement, Clarkson referred to the incredible work “they” had done off the field, particularly around the Arden St facilities, over recent years. His language, though, quickly changed as the presser progressed.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

“This proposal and the precinct of this whole area and our retention of our spiritual roots to the Arden Street area in the developing precinct is really, really exciting to be involved in,” Clarkson said.

“There’s so much work that’s been done in this club off the field and the great challenge now is what we can do on the field – and I’m really excited with that as well.

“I know that two wins and 19 losses is not a great year … but I do know that this is a special club that has a really nice link to its history. Now it’s about getting ourselves ready for the future.

Alastair Clarkson with Sonja Hood. Picture: Darrian TraynorSource: Getty Images

“We know we’ve got a lot of work to do at the club to get the on-field fortunes back to where we want this club to be. I’m really, really excited with that challenge, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work and we’re going to need all these lads (players) to really chip in and have a lot of support from our North members.”

If Kangaroos fans were struggling to contain their excitement before those Clarkson lines, the lid blew off at that moment.

Like many supporters, Roos president Sonja Hood could barely hide her delight on Friday at Arden St when introducing Clarkson – arguably the club’s biggest recruitment coup in 50 years after AFL legend Ron Barassi joined the club as coach ahead of the 1973 season.

NEW FOX FOOTY PODCAST — Dons drama breakdown, last-round preview

Listen below or subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Clarkson chose the Kangaroos over the Bombers after lengthy negotiations with Hood over the past month. In four days, Essendon attempted to achieve what Hood and North had done in four weeks – and as Clarkson brutally admitted on Friday: “Due diligence takes a lot longer than four days, for me.”

Friday’s press conference felt like a homecoming for Clarkson, who played 93 games for the Kangaroos between 1987 and 1995 before finishing his playing career at Melbourne.

While Clarkson’s history with the Kangaroos wasn’t the main factor behind his decision to coach them – he particularly highlighted the top-to-bottom alignment at the club – it no doubt played some role in his call.

“The decision is based on a little bit of sentiment, but also the excitement of what we think we can do here,” he said.

How North saved Clarko through dark time | 01:30

“We’ve got a group of guys that have been through a tough year, but I feel like there’s real optimism with where we can go over the next few years.”

Clarkson opened up on how he really “fell in love with the game” during his first visit to the city in 1977 to watch the Roos’ Grand Final draw with Collingwood before having a kick on Arden St Oval.

But it was several years later when Clarkson fell in love with North Melbourne Football Club as it supported him through a tough period of his life following the death of his brother in a car accident in 1984.

Now Clarkson hopes to repay the favour.

“I’ve got such fond memories of what this club has done for me over my journey,” he said.

“I really needed some direction in my life. I was so fortunate that Greg Miller approached me to come to this club and play and I couldn’t have been blessed with better coaches in Denis Pagan as the Under 19s coach and John Kennedy Senior as our senior coach. Those three gentlemen, Ron Joseph and together with my wife who I met at that point in time, were so pivotal to me at that stage of my life because I was going through a really, really tough time following the death of my brother.

Alastair Clarkson was the king of Arden St on Friday. Picture: Darrian TraynorSource: Getty Images

“‘Mischievous’ would be a good description of me if you asked anyone about a young Clarkson at 17, 18 years of age. But it could easily have gone one way or the other and I was so fortunate I had those people.

“So when it comes time to make decisions as pivotal as this one, you think back to the moments in your life where you really needed some support. This club gave it to me – and perhaps the shoe is on the other foot right now where this club needs some support and some help. That was pivotal in us making the decision to come back and help the club get itself back on track again.”

The Kangaroos, set for their third straight bottom-two finish, have endured a tumultuous period, with Clarkson their fourth full-time coach in five years, and are assured of.

But North and Clarkson are hopeful the club’s clash with the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday will be the start of a promising new period.

“’Patch’ (Leigh Adams) has done a wonderful job in difficult circumstances, it’s never easy to be an interim coach,” Clarkson said.

Clarko’s support for Truck amid ‘circus’ | 01:16

“I’m officially not starting until November 1, although the brain is going to be ticking.

“Hopefully today’s announcement will also recharge the batteries for a lot of them to say there’s a new chapter about to begin at the football club.”

Clarkson said the Kangaroos’ rebuild wouldn’t necessarily be 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.”