North boss' brutal admission amid Clarkson storm

2 years ago 82

North Melbourne president Sonja Hood has admitted the ongoing Alastair Clarkson saga has created sizeable "damage" astatine the club.

Hood was wide praised erstwhile Clarkson turned down Essendon to motion with North connected a five-year deal, but the assignment turned into a nightmare erstwhile the four-time premiership manager was deed with historical allegations of mistreatment of First Nations players during his tenure astatine Hawthorn.

Clarkson and his erstwhile right-hand antheral astatine Hawthorn, Brisbane Lions manager Chris Fagan, person both stood down from their respective roles until the AFL completes an probe into the allegations.

After being criticised for her soundlessness regarding the contention surrounding Clarkson, Hood penned an affectional missive to Kangaroos members this week.

"Although we can't remark connected the allegations oregon the AFL's process, it's important to enactment that the mode events person unfolded implicit the past fortnight has created harm for our nine and our radical – our players (Indigenous and non-Indigenous), our staff, our members, and of people Alastair himself," Hood's missive read, successful part.

"Regardless of our adjacent people of action, the club's fig 1 precedence is to look aft our radical and we volition proceed to bash that. The committee is immensely grateful to our subordinate leaders and the club's enforcement squad for the enactment relation they person each played implicit a precise hard play for our club.

"We didn't make this problem, but it's present ours to woody with, and the unity and attraction successful our effect is simply a testament to our people."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Clarkson's future, Hood credited the Kangaroos' recruiting squad for its handling of past year's No.1 prime Jason Horne-Francis' trade, which near North with 2 of the apical 3 picks successful adjacent month's nationalist draft.

Clarkson, Fagan careers hanging successful the balance

"Our database and recruiting squad were well-prepared starring into the commercialized play and they showed large flexibility and creativity successful bringing high-end draught selections to the nine aft Jason Horne-Francis' precocious commercialized request," Hood said.

Like cross-town rivals Essendon, North Melbourne is besides yet to find who its adjacent CEO volition beryllium aft the exit of Ben Amarfio.

Fremantle shot brag Peter Bell, who played successful 123 games and 2 premierships for the Kangaroos, has agelong been linked with the vacant role.

The AFL earlier this period revealed the four-person panel that volition behaviour the autarkic probe into the historical allegations of racism astatine the Hawthorn Football Club, with the probe to beryllium completed by December.

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