Alastair Clarkson says he will move on from the AFL after being sacked by North Melbourne with one year left on his lucrative contract.

The four-time Hawthorn premiership coach made a stunning return to the Kangaroos, where he began his career as a player, ahead of the 2023 season in what was seen as a coup for the struggling club and president Sonja Hood.

North won just three games in each of his first two seasons and still only managed five last year, before finally showing more promise this season to sit 8-7 at the end of June.

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But the Roos won just once in their last eight games to crash out of finals contention — and Clarkson began openly pondering his future heading into the final year of his five-year contract.

Post-season interviews with players and football department staff prompted the decision to sack Clarkson, who was surprised when told by Hood and football boss Todd Viney at his home on Tuesday night.

“My time as coach of the North Melbourne Football Club has come to an end,” Clarkson said in a statement.

“We set out to stabilise the club and lay the foundations for a return to playing deep in September. The challenge was a difficult one that I embraced with my whole being.

“My family and I have been privileged to be involved in AFL football for over 40 years, but it is now time for a new chapter.”

North Melbourne players, including those already overseas on holiday, were called into a meeting on Wednesday to learn of Clarkson’s departure from Hood and football boss Todd Viney.

“We asked Alastair to give our club stability and strength and help return us to the top of the AFL ladder,” Hood said in a club statement.

“Four years later, we have created an environment where our staff and players want to be at our club. This is a testament to the culture Alastair has helped create and the belief that he has built in this group.

“Although we have clearly made progress and won more games, we won’t shy away from our desire to want more from this talented group.

“We are incredibly grateful to Alastair for the work he’s done over the last four years and we wish him all the very best for his next chapter.”

North said the club would now “undertake a process to appoint our next senior coach”.

The Roos enter the sweepstakes after Carlton appointed interim Josh Fraser to the full-time role and Essendon locked in Mark McVeigh.

Corey Enright (St Kilda), Jaymie Graham (Fremantle), James Kelly (Geelong) and Daniel Giansiracusa (Hawthorn) were among the assistants who interviewed for those roles and could find themselves in the mix.

But the Kangaroos’ 1999 premiership teammates John Longmire and Adam Simpson loom large.

Both are yet to put their hand up for senior coaching roles since ending their successful stints in charge of Sydney and West Coast respectively in 2024.

North last played finals footy in 2016 but were in the mix for much of this year despite failing to beat a fellow contender.

“Old school” Clarkson, branding himself ‘old school’, said he would not push for an early extension and was prepared to go on with “a handshake and a wink and a nod”.

“We’ll work our way through whatever we need to do,” the 58-year-old said in early August.

“I’m really here to serve the footy club ... it’s not just me, but those that are in leadership positions at the club have done a really good job stabilising the footy club.

“We’re really keen to progress and get ourselves up the ladder, but all we do know is that that’s done best when you’ve got stability.”

Arriving after David Noble’s disastrous five-win stint across 2021-22, Clarkson brought former Melbourne teammate and close Hawthorn colleague Viney on board as head of football.

Clarkson’s early tenure was overshadowed by a historical racism case stemming from his time at Hawthorn.

Citing the saga’s toll on his physical and mental health, he took leave from North for nearly three months in the middle of the 2023 season before the matter wrapped up in the Federal Court the following year.

Clarkson, former right-hand man turned Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan and ex-Hawks welfare manager Jason Burt all strenuously denied any wrongdoing, while an AFL investigation found no adverse findings against the trio.

The Roos topped up with experienced veterans Jack Darling, Luke Parker and Caleb Daniel in recent years while the likes of Luke Davies-Uniackie, Paul Curtis and Harry Sheezel began to rise.

North suffered a blow at the end of last season when then captain Jy Simpkin explored a move away from the club in part because of his role under Clarkson.

He remained at the club but was replaced as skipper by Nick Larkey.

The Roos have been linked with Adelaide’s Nick Murray and injury-riddled Essendon defender Jordan Ridley ahead of next month’s trade period.

They are yet to extend their own former No.3 draft pick Zane Duursma, who kicked 15 goals this year but the majority in a six-week period early in the season.