NORTH Melbourne has sacked senior coach Alastair Clarkson with a year remaining on his contract, after the board decided it would not be extending his tenure at the end of 2027. 

The Kangaroos have not spoken to former North premiership players John Longmire and Adam Simpson, both premiership coaches in their own right, and will launch their coaching process next week as they hunt a new leader "who can coach for the modern game".

In a stunning development, North players were called to an emergency meeting at Arden Street on Wednesday morning, where they were told that Clarkson would no longer coach the club. 

North Melbourne president Dr Sonja Hood said Clarkson was respected and liked by the players, but there was concern at the club that the veteran coach had taken the list as far as he could.

>> SCROLL DOWN FOR A RECAP OF OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE ROOS' MEDIA CONFERENCE 

"I would say the players are very fond of Alastair and are very pleased to have him as their coach," she told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

"The club generally has benefited enormously from the stability that he's brought. This is a decision based on the future and our belief that he's not the right person to take us forward." 

North's general manager of football, Todd Viney, said despite increased win tallies in the past two seasons after three-win campaigns in 2023 and 2024, it had been decided that the club needed a new voice to "make the jump" into finals contention. 

"Unfortunately there's still some gaping holes in our game plan which we have been looking to try and fix, and there's some key metrics, that I'm not doing a deep dive into now, that we haven't been able to arrest. Therefore, we haven't been able to make the jump," he said.

"One thing that Clarko did, he tried too hard, in trying to fix that and therefore we get into more meetings, more information and the players at the end of the day become a little bit confused and we don't get the cohesion we need to win more games." 

Hood said that there was a termination clause in Clarkson's contract and the club "had met that fully". 

She said the club had not spoken with premiership coaches Adam Simpson and John Longmire, both former North premiership players.

"We don't have a pre-supposed idea. Last time we chased the best person for the job; this time, our club's in a very different position, our list is in a very different position and we will let the market put up the best coach for this club," Hood said, adding: "this club needs a coach who can coach for the modern game".

Clarkson has been in charge of the Roos since 2023, winning just 20 of his 82 games in charge, including nine this season. 

The former North Melbourne player came to Arden Street after 17 years coaching at Hawthorn, where he guided the club to four premierships and a 58.8 per cent winning record.

The club said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that Clarkson was told of the club's decision  after a period of consultation with football department staff after the end of the season.

"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."

Clarkson said in a statement released by his manager, James Henderson, that reviving North's fortunes had been "difficult".

"My time as coach of the North Melbourne Football Club has come to an end," Clarkson 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."

Clarkson said in early August that he wasn't in a hurry to push for an extension of his current five-year contract at North, saying "all I require is a handshake and a wink and a nod, and that'll do me". 

"I'm really here to serve the footy club ... it's not just me, but those that are in leadership positions at the club have done a really good job stabilising the footy club," Clarkson said ahead of North Melbourne's eventual win over the Western Bulldogs in round 22. 

"We're really keen to progress and get ourselves up the ladder, but all we do know is that that's done best when you've got stability."

North will become the third club with a new senior coach in 2027 after Essendon appointed Mark McVeigh to replace Brad Scott, and Carlton signed interim coach Josh Fraser on a permanent basis after parting ways with Michael Voss.

Clarkson was appointed in August 2022, coming in after previous coach David Noble had won just five of his 38 games at the helm.

But early success proved elusive for the master coach. North won three games in each of his first two seasons, although Clarkson took leave for several weeks in 2023 as he dealt with the Hawthorn racism investigation. 

Viney said the Hawthorn racism saga had taken an enormous toll on Clarkson, and left a lasting impact.

"I'm not sure the scars have fully healed to this point," Viney said. 

"He's gone through enormous trauma."

Five wins and a draw came in 2025, while this season brought nine wins - but only one over a finals contender (against the Bulldogs).