Why ‘wily old veterans’ could be key to North’s youth-led recovery under Clarkson

New North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson says “wily old veterans” such as skipper Jack Ziebell, Todd Goldstein and Ben Cunnington may prove more crucial than the coaches in helping his youth-focused plan succeed at the Kangaroos.

The four-time premiership coach made no promises that the contracted Ziebell would continue as captain but said his conversations with players in the off-season would help him understand where each person fitted into the overall picture.

He said it was too early to be specific about individuals but emphasised the young players would need experience, guidance and mentors to establish themselves as AFL players and that could come from within or via experienced recruits from other clubs.

Todd Goldstein has been a good performer in 2022 but his future remains unclearCredit:Getty

“Some of these wily old veterans may be really, really good. They have been great servants for our club already, special and decorated servants [and] they may have a role at our footy club as being quasi-coaches for us out on the ground,” Clarkson said.

“They could be even more important than the coaching staff in a lot of ways.

“We will speak to the player [and ask him] what is his desire, where does he see he fits and that needs to marry up with where we need to go as a club. We have six to eight weeks to do that. We need leadership, we need direction and we need guidance and those guys might be very, very important for us in the next 12 months.”

The club has been linked to contracted Saint Brad Hill and out-of-contract Hawk Liam Shiels, but Clarkson was not specific when asked about that pair, who played in premierships under him at the Hawthorn.

Liam Shiel has played in three flags under ClarksonCredit:Getty

“Anyone is going to be on the radar that will help us but by and large the future of this footy club is going to be with youth and inspiring the ones that are already here,” Clarkson said.

Clarkson said he was not involved in the club’s push for a priority pick but said the Roos would accept any draft assistance they could obtain from the AFL as they attempt to improve on a largely uncompetitive season in which they won just two games. They currently hold pick one, 55 and 65.

“Whatever support we can get in that space to assist us to move back up ladder is certainly going to be welcome, but the improvement of this football club is going to come from within,” Clarkson said.

He said his first step with talented youngsters such as Jason Horne-Francis, Will Phillips and Jaidyn Stephenson was to get to know them as people and promised to focus on bringing out the strengths they obviously possessed.

Clarkson mused that in an ideal world, the captain handed the baton over while still a player but said he had no preconceived notion around what should happen with Ziebell, who has been North Melbourne captain since 2017.

“I will sit down with him and will sit down with the club and work out what the best is for the club and Jack in terms of what the pathway is forward,” Clarkson said.

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