The AFL is planning a “full scale intervention” of the North Melbourne club, which has become so bad it’s now a “bye” game almost every week, according to a leading journalist.
Caroline Wilson said the AFL was “furious” with the state former chief executive Ben Buckley left the Kangaroos in.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Footy Classified, Wilson said the AFL planned to “forensically” look at the Kangaroos’ entire operation, and that coach David Noble will be replaced at the end of the year, if not earlier.
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She said cleaning up the club was one of outgoing AFL CEO Gil McLachlan’s final priorities.
“(The AFL) are furious North didn’t further try and make a further foray into Tasmania under Buckley,” Wilson said.
“They’re furious at the bungled coaching appointments, not just David Noble, but they’re not blaming him for this problem.
“The only person who I think they’re not blaming, or who they’re not critical of, is the current president in Sonja Hood, and she’s only been in the job six or seven months.”
During his tenure, McLachlan has performed similar operations at other clubs – most notably at the Melbourne Demons shortly before officially taking over from Andrew Demetriou. The Demons famously won the premiership last year.
Immediately after taking over in the top job McLachlan did the same thing in Brisbane to the Lions, who are premiership contenders this year on the back of several seasons of success.
The Gold Coast Suns are also in a rebuilding period after a McLachlan intervention.
Wilson said no-one’s job at the Roos was safe.
“I’m talking about the CEO, the list manager, the head of football. I’m not sure about the board, but I think what the AFL wants to do is significantly reshape that football club, who are dragging down the competition and at the moment, creating a bye for the rest of the competition,” she said.
Wilson added that whoever comes in to run the club was going to find recruiting a new coach a challenge.
“We very much doubt Alastair Clarkson will come in, we know that Adam Simpson has made it clear he’s not going to break his contract with West Coast … and John Longmire clearly isn’t leaving the Sydney Swans,” she said.
“North will get at least one priority pick but they won’t get relief in their soft cap.”
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