Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has described Alastair Clarkson’s sacking by North Melbourne as a sign of the growing volatility of the AFL coaching industry, saying the competition has become “almost like the EPL”.
Clarkson was dismissed on Wednesday, September 2, after four seasons at Arden Street and with a year remaining on his contract. North Melbourne players were called to an emergency meeting before being informed that the four-time premiership coach would no longer lead the club.
Beveridge, who worked alongside Clarkson at Hawthorn, said he was stunned when told of the decision during his weekly press conference.
“Really?” he replied before adding: “Jeez … I could say so much, but I’d prefer to say very little, because what can you say?”
He said the pressure placed on senior coaches had changed markedly, with their futures now subjected to constant speculation from the beginning of their appointments.
“I think the difficult thing with what we’re all doing is it’s a different culture now in our code,” Beveridge said. “We’ve almost become like the EPL, where senior coaches’ tenure and your own coaching mortality is speculated about a lot more than it used to be.”
Beveridge contrasted the AFL with the NFL, where he said a winning season could still be regarded as a success, and expressed concern for coaches entering the profession.
“Do they actually really want to put them in the situation where, from the start of their tenure, their vocational sustainability is speculated upon?” he said. “You know, it’s not a nice place to live.”
North Melbourne president Sonja Hood said the club had made progress under Clarkson but wanted greater results from a talented playing group. The Kangaroos won 20 of his 82 matches in charge, including nine in the 2026 season, their best return since 2019.
Hood said the decision followed consultation with football department staff and players, adding that Clarkson had helped create a more stable environment at the club.
Beveridge paid tribute to his former colleague, describing Clarkson as “an amazing coach and an amazing custodian of the game” who had made a significant contribution to Australian rules football.
“Obviously, I spent three years with him at the Hawks, had a really successful time and got enormous value and experience out of that,” Beveridge said. “He’s a resilient and durable guy, and he’ll be fine.”
But he acknowledged the personal impact of the abrupt departure, saying he was “feeling for him after that news has broken” and describing the wider situation as “disconcerting”.
