Breaking: Alastair Clarkson and North Melbourne part ways after four AFL seasons

Posted Wed 2 Sep 2026 at 11:50amWed 2 Sep 2026 at 11:50am, updated Wed 2 Sep 2026 at 12:31pmWed 2 Sep 2026 at 12:31pmNorth Melbourne and Alastair Clarkson have parted ways after four seasons. (Getty Images: AFL/Darrian Traynor)North Melbourne has parted ways with coach Alastair Clarkson after four AFL seasons.Clarkson, who guided Hawthorn to four premierships as a coach, has been unable to lead the Kangaroos to the finals during his time at Arden Street.Clarkson was contracted with the club until 2027, but the Kangaroos opted to end his tenure early.North Melbourne president Sonja Hood said the Kangaroos were in a better position now than when Clarkson took over, but the club wanted more success."We asked Alastair to give our club stability and strength and help return us to the top of the AFL ladder," Hood said."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."Under Clarkson, North won 20 of their 82 AFL matches, including nine this season. Clarkson took over the Kangaroos after the club had collected back-to-back wooden spoons in 2022 and 2021, while also finishing second-last in 2020.North have not made the finals in a decade, when the club made consecutive preliminary finals in 2014 and 2015 and an elimination final in 2016 under Brad Scott.The 2026 season was North's best under Clarkson, and most successful since 2019, with the Kangaroos finishing 14th on the ladder with nine wins.