Xavier Clarke recently departed Richmond to take up an assistant coaching role at North Melbourne.
After more than seven years and three premierships with the Tigers, Clarke opted to up and leave Punt Road as the club went about preparing for a changing of the guard.
The former St Kilda and Brisbane player says the idea of a fresh start and the opportunity to work alongside Alastair Clarkson were the overriding factors for choosing the Kangaroos despite having a year to run on his Richmond contract.
“I’ve been at Richmond for seven and a half years. It’s been great to be a part of the journey and the success that came along with that,” Clarke said on SEN Friday’s In The Top End.
“I sort of felt I was at that stage of my coaching career where I needed a new challenge and a new opportunity, a bigger portfolio and what that looked like. North Melbourne provided that.
“I’m excited more so to help them build and get back to where they need to. Hopefully we can get back to playing finals footy in the next few years.
“To work with four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson as well, to add that and learn new ways was probably the main reason why I ended up choosing North.
“I’m looking forward to taking the next step in my coaching journey.”
After head coach Damien Hardwick departed Richmond, the club undertook the task of finding a new coach.
Clarke threw his hat in the ring and was up against the likes of caretaker Andrew McQualter and Adem Yze, who would eventually win the job.
He says it was a fairly full on and cut-throat process.
“It’s pretty intense to be completely honest,” Clarke added.
“There’s only 18 of those jobs in the country so it is a pretty intense process.
“Initially you apply then you get given an opportunity to present your coaching style and philosophy to a panel. Generally you go through a three-hour interview process.
“Then from there they go to the second stage but unfortunately I didn’t go through to that next stage. I’m still to sit down with the interview panel to go into real detail about what the feedback was.”
Clarke admits that he had no preconceived plans to move on from Richmond if he was unsuccessful in his pursuit of the senior gig, it just so happened to be that it fell that way in the end.
“For me that wasn’t the case,” he replied.
“Obviously I was contracted to Richmond for another year. To be honest it was a pretty hard decision because at the end of the day you build great relationships with players and staff and that’s hard to feel like you’re leaving.
“But for my coaching progression I felt that I needed the challenge.”
As for which players he is keen to work with at Arden Street, the 40-year-old sees a bright future for those of the royal blue and white persuasion.
“Jy Simpkin. He’s that mid-age now but I think he’s just scratching the surface in terms of what his leadership looks like as a co-captain of the footy club,” he said of the key player.
“All the young guys (including Nick Larkey, Tarryn Thomas, Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw) are really going to take the club to the next stage. They’ve got an exciting few years ahead with new talent coming through.
“That’s what I’m most looking forward to is stepping in with a blank canvas. From all reports they’re all willing to learn and get better.
“It’s a club that is excited for the future.”
Clarke will look after the forwards and oversee team offence in his new role with North.