AFL Media’s Damian Barrett has questioned why North Melbourne board member Glenn Archer has been named on the club’s selection panel to find their next coach.
The Kangaroos announced a “well-rounded” coaching selection panel that includes football director Archer, premiership coach Paul Roos, CEO Ben Amarfio, GM of Football Brady Rawlings, board member Sonja Hood and Centre for Leadership Advantage co-founder and director, Terry Coyne.
North Melbourne has reportedly drawn up a shortlist of 10 candidates to replace the departed Rhyce Shaw.
Speaking on AFL Trade Radio’s The Late Trade, Barrett slammed North’s “cowboy process” to identify Shaw as Brad Scott’s replacement.
Club great Archer and chairman Ben Buckley were part of a five-person panel that appointed Shaw as interim coach last year.
“It’s unthinkable for the North Melbourne Football Club to have Glenn Archer as part of its committee to find a new coach,” Barrett said.
“I feel it’s only marginally more logical to have Roos chairman Ben Buckley on that same committee as well. Buckley and Archer have had their chances with such tasks - and they’ve failed.
“They extended Brad Scott’s contract as coach only to ship him out with a year and a half to go (on his contract).
“They then ran a cowboy process to find his replacement making Hail Mary calls to a few of their old mates in Simmo (Adam Simpson), Horse (John Longmire) and Clarko (Alastair Clarkson) - all those guys understandably said no in a heartbeat.
“All too smart to join their cowboy operation and a so-called thorough process then unveiled interim coach Rhyce Shaw as the man they were after.
“And like Scott in 2020, Shaw in 2021 will be paid by North Melbourne Football Club to not coach the North Melbourne Football Club – as will a lot of assistant coaches who have also been appointed and axed under their watch.
“It’s only club money though, isn’t it?
“No other business in the world would allow so many mistakes to not only be allowed but tolerated and ultimately ignored.
“And hiding behind the appointment of Paul Roos on this latest North Melbourne committee to find a new coach is simply a cop out – an attempt at good PR when the only thing that is needed is good management.”
Archer played 311 games for North Melbourne winning two premierships in 1996 and 1999.
Port Adelaide assistant coach Michael Voss has been linked to the vacant Roos job.