After brutally sacking veteran mentor Alastair Clarkson, North Melbourne want their next AFL head coach to be someone who can keep up with "the modern game."
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The Kangaroos confirmed Clarkson's departure on Wednesday, admitting the four-time AFL premiership mentor "didn't see it coming", after players voiced concerns about his coaching.
Clarkson, who coached Hawthorn to four premierships in an era-defining stint from 2005 until 2021, arrived at North as head coach amid great fanfare after being appointed in August 2022.
But he was unceremoniously axed, with a year to run on his contract, by football boss Todd Viney, a close friend, and club president Sonja Hood.
Hood insisted the club is yet to headhunt John Longmire or Adam Simpson, who like Clarkson are former Kangaroos players and premiership coaches.
The club president said she didn't have a shortlist and all candidates would need to go through North Melbourne's process.
Simpson and Longmire said on Wednesday night they were surprised about Clarkson's sacking and it was too soon to discuss whether they would go for the North job.
"I'm not sure how many people wanted that job at North four years ago ... I bet you there's a few people going for it now," Simpson told AFL360.
Asked if he would consider going for the role, Longmire replied: "Obviously I knew this one was coming.
"My first instant reaction would be it's just happened today. Let's let the dust settles."
Simpson said his thoughts for the moment were with Clarkson, not on the vacant role.
"It's just a bit early to talk about what we perceive as an opportunity, versus a mate who's lost his job," Simpson added.
Longmire called Clarkson a "fierce combatant" as a rival coach and Simpson said the news left him "a little bit sad".
Asked what type of coach the Kangaroos wanted, Hood, who declared Clarkson's appointment had not been an error, said: "This club needs a coach who can coach for the modern game.
"It'll be a coach who knows what they're doing and it'll be a coach who's the best fit for this football club."
That could hurt the chances of Longmire and Simpson, who last held senior roles in November 2025 and July 2024 respectively.
Viney made it clear Clarkson was not that coach, noting there were "still some gaping holes in our game plan".
"If there was one thing Clarko did, he tried too hard to fix that. Therefore what happens is we get into more meetings, more information and players end up becoming a bit more confused," Viney said.
"The players have been very supportive of what Clarko has tried to produce ... (but) messages have become a little bit muddier and players feel they haven't been clear.
Viney later added: "There's still parts of our game plan that we haven't been able to improve in the four years.
"And that's some stuff that we need to get right when we talk to the next coach, to bring us in line with where the modern game is right at the moment. We need to get better.
"There's parts of the game that hasn't kept up to pace with it and that's holding us back from getting us to where we need to get."
Viney and Hood delivered the news to Clarkson on Tuesday before players, whose feedback formed part of a review that led the Kangaroos to conclude they needed a new coach, learned of the change at an impromptu meeting on Wednesday morning.
"He didn't see it coming," Viney told reporters.
"I know Clarko really well. He was frustrated. He's disappointed, he's a fighter."
Clarkson was contracted until the end of 2027, when his initial bumper five-year deal with the struggling Roos was due to end.
His departure comes despite the Kangaroos' improved season in 2026, when they finished 14th and claimed nine wins.
"He's upset," Hood said.
The 58-year-old, through his manager James Henderson, released a statement via social media.
"We set out to stabilise the club and lay the foundations for a return to playing deep in September," Clarkson said.
"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 is now time for a new chapter."
In an earlier letter to members, Hood expanded on why the club moved on Clarkson.
"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," she said.
"Once we knew that, it felt disrespectful to him to have him coach into 2027.
"Alastair, of course, believes he can turn this around – that's part of what makes him so special. We don't agree with him."
In August, Clarkson said he wouldn't be pushing for a contract extension this off-season and was happy to wait it out.
The start of Clarkson's North tenure was quickly overshadowed by the emergence of the Hawthorn racism saga in September 2022.
"That took enormous toll on him ... I'm not sure the scars have fully healed," Viney said.
The 58-year-old finishes at North with a 25 per cent winning record (20-1-61) from 82 games.
North Melbourne are the third club to part ways with their senior coach this year, after Carlton sacked Michael Voss and Essendon fired Brad Scott.
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