AFL 2024: Alastair Clarkson might change approach on naming North Melbourne targets

Alastair Clarkson says he “won’t be as forthright next time” after drawing the ire of rival coaches by naming players North Melbourne was trying to recruit.

The Kangaroos coach joked that football boss Todd Viney had earnt an “extra couple of sheep” out of his son Jack’s new deal to remain at Melbourne following Clarkson’s comments that the club was trying to lure the veteran away last week.

Clarkson said in a radio interview last week he would target several experienced players, naming Ollie Wines, Callan Ward and Swans Luke Parker and Dane Rampe along with Viney.

“You’re never confident (of signing rival players) … I don’t know what the hit-and-miss ratio is for all other clubs, but I reckon mine is one in 10,” he told SEN.

“You miss nine beauties that you’d love to get to your footy club. You’re never confident but we know that’s what we’re searching for. We’ll go to market and see how we can go.”

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said on Tuesday that Clarkson’s naming of his targets was “something I wouldn’t do” as the Demons announced their vice-captain had extended his deal until the end of 2028.

“It’s actually a little bit of a tactic of Todd and I, just to up his price a little bit. Todd’s getting an extra couple of sheep out of that deal for his farm,” Clarkson joked on Thursday.

“It’s a difficult game, knowing what to say and what not to say and whether you get embroiled in that sort of stuff, and I got myself in a bit of strife last week, commenting on players.

“The game as it sits right now, if you wait until the off-season to try and get in on any of these deals, you’re last past the post, so that’s just the reality of it.

“Perhaps we won’t be as forthright next time in terms of who we’re trying to lure to our club.”

Clarkson said he expected talks to pick up between the Roos and Luke Davies-Uniacke’s management “in the next six weeks” as the club seeks to extend the star midfielder’s stay beyond 2025.

He thanked retiring midfielders Liam Shiels and Hugh Greenwood along with their families for what he described as an “enormous contribution” to North Melbourne.

Clarkson coached Shiels for all but one year of his career after convincing the triple-premiership Hawk to extend his playing days with two more seasons at Arden Street.

Shiels will face his former club in a final game on Saturday in Launceston, but Greenwood has finished after he was given a guard of honour following the Roos’ VFL game last weekend.

“(Shiels) has been a real trooper for two football clubs – fortunately, I’ve been his coach for most of his journey across those two clubs.

“We had a motto at the Hawthorn footy club for a long period of time, ‘leave your ego on the hook’ – no one personified that better than (Shiels) did.

“He’s just been a real stalwart of both clubs – such is our admiration for who he is as a bloke … he’ll continue to be involved at North Melbourne in a recruiting and development-type role for us, such is the respect he’s held in at the club.”

Clarkson said Greenwood, a Tasmanian who got an AFL opportunity at Adelaide after crossing from basketball as a category B rookie, had also left a massive impact on the Crows and Gold Coast in his 121-game career.