North Melbourne great David King says he’s devastated by the events in recent months that has seen Alastair Clarkson step away from the club.
The Kangaroos on Thursday morning confirmed their coach would take time away for his physical and mental health, just nine games into his North Melbourne coaching career.
Clarkson had been at the centre of allegations from former Hawthorn First Nations players and their partners in an ongoing investigation. The 55-year-old has always maintained his innocence.
King – a dual-premiership player at Arden Street – hopes the club rallies around Clarkson but was emotional when discussing the events of Thursday morning.
“I’m angry, I’m upset for Alastair Clarkson who’s a great person, an absolute icon of our game, an ambassador of our football club in every way, shape or form,” King began on SEN’s Whateley.
“I feel devastated for him and his family that it’s come to this point which would have been an incredibly difficult decision to make, to put yourself on the front page of every paper, the front of every new bulletin today to step down from a football club he loves… he just wanted to correct this football club, that was his passion.
“Since the Grand Final last year, he hasn’t been given a fair swing at life. These allegations are horrifying and he hasn’t been allowed due process at any point… the toll on him emotionally, physically, whether he can sleep at night, whether he can hold a normal conversation without this running through his head, the sheer fatigue he’d be carrying day to day and then to try and run a football club, manage 100-odd people day-to-day and still be that same person he was during his Hall of Fame years at Hawthorn would have been near on impossible.”
Clarkson was afforded the choice between North Melbourne and Essendon when choosing where he would return to coaching and told his truth to the Roos’ board when he was appointed about his time at Hawthorn.
Beyond that, he’s yet to speak publicly or even to the investigation panel. King suggested the way the investigation has been carried out has beaten Clarkson down.
“I don’t know if Alastair will ever feel that he’s had an opportunity to clear a reputation that’s been built over four decades. They’ve just slowly destroyed the fabric of this guy,” King continued.
He added: “I worry for about all things Alastair at the moment… even his harshest critics would have some sympathy for where he’s at right now.
“This is a massive admission from a strong character… I worry about all things Alastair. I know the football club will throw their arms around him…”
King added that on the back of this news, the day shouldn’t be about North Melbourne’s performance, but more Clarkson’s wellbeing.
King also had a message for the AFL, who turned the investigation over to an independent panel to investigate the original claims that also included Brisbane coach Chris Fagan and former player welfare manager Jason Burt.
“Get busy correcting what is a complete mess,” King stated.
“You’ve broken one of the strongest individuals the game has seen for 100 years. He’s a guy we should be lauding, not questioning. Give him the opportunity to end this process, find a way to get this done in a matter of moments.
“It’s just continually damaging these great people in our game… I think we need to put everything on the back burner for a little bit and rally around a great man and do what the North Melbourne football club has always done… prioritising people above all else because that’s all they’ve had for years.
“And I think the AFL community should do the same.”
There’s currently no timeframe for Clarkson to return to North Melbourne, a club he played 134 games for as a player.