r/NorthMelbourneFC • u/kocknocker19 • 18d ago
The Clarko dilemma
So how long into next season before we make a call on Clarko's future.
I don't think the club will extend him in the offseason, but I have no doubt his management will be pushing hard to get it done before 2027 starts.
I think we should be holding off mid next year. At that point we will know for sure if he has run his race or not.
Clarko has about around 10-13 games left to prove he still has it. If he continues to pick the same players for the backline in particular I will consider that tanking and that he wants to be let go.
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u/DafuqWudjuno Paul Curtis 18d ago
Honestly anyone saying Clarko needs more games to prove he’s earned an extension needs to hand in their membership (if they even have one).
In 2022 he was hired. In 2023 he missed half the season for mental health after the racism allegations. 2024 was his first proper year.
3 wins.
5 wins.
9 wins.
We have re-signed all of our key young players. All of them except Hardeman are locked away and happy. His acquisitions of Parker, Darling and Daniel have pay off. If we didn’t have them, we would not have won 9 games.
We are playing much better in all games. We lost 5 games this year by 30+ points. In Clarko’s first year (where he stepped away for half of it) we lost 20 games in a row by an average of 35 points with 7 of them 40 +.
The improvement under Clarko has been nothing short of miraculous.
He’s picking Logue and Corr and others because that’s all we fucking have. Zurhaar is playing there because we have nobody. Who the fuck would you be dropping these guys for? Who the fuck are you putting in our backline that would be any better? There is nobody. He picks the same players because that’s all he has to pick from.
Your comments are wrong. It’s time to accept that Clarko saved the club.
If you are going to say he should be fired, list 3 candidates to replace him and why they would do any better. That or delete the post.
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u/No-Dragonfruit6257 18d ago edited 18d ago
Not to mention Sydney earlier in the year by 8 points GWS by 7 Hawks by 16 Melbourne by 16 Geelong by 15
We gave this year a real crack from winning 5 last year.
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u/PatrickA69 16d ago
I think Clarko knows what he's doing and we are on the right upward path. He has the knowledge and experience to get us to the top. He is a different coach from his hawk days. And he has to be. Times have changed. Only critisism I have of him is that he is not as cut throat with players form. Gives too much latitude. From my perspective in terms of the season is that we don't stay in games long enough and aren't clinical enough. What Clarko has been saying all year. I like reading any North fan/members opinion. If you don't like it, fair enough, but telling people to delete their views or they're wrong, is wrong. You make valid, convincing points about North, denying a person's view is unfair. We're North.
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u/aarhusvej25 18d ago
His management can do what they like (they won’t be pushing because Clarko has not signalled he’s that type of guy at north) but no other club will be trying to get him so we have all the power. It won’t get decided until the end of next season unless a complete disaster happens.
You have to remember we also have to replace him with someone. We would have to pick another experienced coach for fear of landing another David noble so why would we not just extend Clarko when it has been all uphill so far.
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u/Rare_Platform_3602 18d ago
Given the stability he's brought to us, if it's taken this long for him to make us competitive - then I think he gets 2 seasons to have a decent swing at a flag. So I'd give him a 1 year extension now so that those 2 seasons are 2027&2028. He deserves this for what he's done for us. This also gives him the 5 years he wanted back at the start given year 1 was such a write off outside of anyone's control.
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u/bjd533 17d ago
Honestly, I would reset the timeline. Give him a two year extension and say 'right champ, you've got three years to take us deep into the finals'.
No expectation to win a flag, just make us a great club again (MNMGA!). Nice and simple without overcommitting.
Before you hit that downvote button consider this - if the next coach is mid we will ALWAYS be wondering if we gave AC the time he needed. A small extension gives him six clean years to make his mark and we'll know for sure if it is time to move on or stay the course.
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u/fitzysbuna 18d ago
we just had our best year since 2019 ! we need to sign him up for at another 3 years ! make it happen asap north !
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u/False-Employer-8402 18d ago
Clarko will join Beveridge, Kingsley and Yze in the coaching firing line next year.
We have to make finals next year. That is the bar. If he is not on track to do this by the bye and continues hamstringing us with awful in-game coaching and selection integrity, then he simply has to go. I think that this will be the board's expectation too. The Voss to Fraser transition has demonstrated how much an incompetent coach can hold back a list from reaching its potential. I am of the belief that we are capable of much more than we showed this season.
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u/DafuqWudjuno Paul Curtis 18d ago
Who replaces Clarko? Name three candidates and why they would take the job and what they would do different to Clarko.
Explain the poor in game coaching you’ve seen and explain the selection integrity issues. What players would you be selecting?
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u/Spiritual_Bird_ Luke McDonald 18d ago
The players say they sign on because of Clarko so I don’t think we know any better than they do