North Melbourne is on the hunt for a new senior coach, after the club comfirmed it has parted ways with senior coach Alastair Clarkson.
Clarkson still had a year to run on his five-year contract with the Kangaroos.
Clarkson's sacking comes after the club posted its best win-loss return since 2019, winning 9 games and losing 14 for a 14th placed finish.
In a statement, the club said it came to its decision "following a consultation period with football department staff and players at the conclusion of the AFL premiership season", while in a letter to members, club president Sonja Hood said Clarkson did not have the backing of key staff and players.
"Having consulted widely across the club, it has become clear that Alastair no longer has the belief from enough people at the club that he is the right coach to take this group forward," the letter said.
"Once we knew that, it felt disrespectful to him to have him coach into 2027, knowing we would not extend him at the end of that.
"Our culture among the players, staff and coaches is undeniably strong, but we need a consistently clear and concise on-field strategy to sit alongside that.
"We have made progress and won more games but we won't shy away from our desire to want more from this talented group. This is unashamedly a football decision."
Meanwhile a statement released by Clarkson's manager on behalf of the sacked coach read:
"My time as coach of the North Melbourne Football Club has come to an end," he said.
We set out to stabilise the club and lay the foundations for a return to playing deep in September.
The challenge was a difficult one that I embraced with my whole being.
My family and I have been privileged to be involved in AFL football for over 40 years, but it now time for a new chapter."
The former Kangaroos player arrived at the club with much fanfare, having coached Hawthorn to four premierships in an era-defining stint from 2005 until 2021.
Clarkson was appointed North coach in August 2022, but the start of his tenure was quickly overshadowed by the emergence of the Hawthorn racism saga in September that year.
Racism allegations against the club and Clarkson, his former assistant Chris Fagan and former welfare manager Jason Burt were aired publicly.
Clarkson, now-Brisbane Lions mentor Fagan and Burt all strenuously denied any wrongdoing, while an AFL investigation found no adverse findings against the trio in May 2023.
Hawthorn settled the Federal Court case with the affected Indigenous former players in November 2024.
The 58-year-old finishes at North with a worse-than-25% winning record (20-1-61) from 82 games.
Previously, Clarkson guided Hawthron to four premierships over 17 years, coaching 390 games for 228 wins, 158 losses, and four draws.
According to multiple reports, North Melbourne's players and staff were called to an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning to learn the news.
The Kangaroos are the third club to part ways with their senior coach in 2026, after Michael Voss departed Carlton and Essendon fired Brad Scott.
Hood and the club's head of football Todd Viney will speak to the media at 2pm.
-- with AAP
