North Melbourne president Sonja Hood has admitted the ongoing Alastair Clarkson saga has created considerable “damage” at the club.
Hood was widely praised when Clarkson turned down Essendon to sign with North on a five-year deal, but the appointment turned into a nightmare when the four-time premiership coach was hit with historic allegations of mistreatment of First Nations players during his tenure at Hawthorn.
Clarkson and his former right-hand man at Hawthorn, Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan, have both stood down from their respective roles until the AFL completes an investigation into the allegations.
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After being criticised for her silence regarding the controversy surrounding Clarkson, Hood penned an emotional letter to Kangaroos members this week.
“Although we can’t comment on the allegations or the AFL’s process, it’s important to note that the way events have unfolded over the past fortnight has created damage for our club and our people – our players (Indigenous and non-Indigenous), our staff, our members, and of course Alastair himself,” Hood’s letter read, in part.
“Regardless of our next course of action, the club’s number one priority is to look after our people and we will continue to do that. The board is immensely grateful to our player leaders and the club’s executive team for the leadership role they have all played over a very difficult period for our club.
“We didn’t create this problem, but it’s now ours to deal with, and the unity and care in our response is a testament to our people.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Clarkson’s future, Hood credited the Kangaroos’ recruiting team for its handling of last year’s No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis’ trade, which left North with two of the top three picks in next month’s national draft.
Clarkson, Fagan careers hanging in the balance
“Our list and recruiting team were well-prepared leading into the trade period and they showed great flexibility and creativity in bringing high-end draft selections to the club after Jason Horne-Francis’ late trade request,” Hood said.
Like cross-town rivals Essendon, North Melbourne is also yet to determine who its next CEO will be after the exit of Ben Amarfio.
Fremantle football boss Peter Bell, who played in 123 games and two premierships for the Kangaroos, has long been linked with the vacant role.
The AFL earlier this month revealed the four-person panel that will conduct the independent investigation into the historic allegations of racism at the Hawthorn Football Club, with the probe to be completed by December.
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