North Melbourne will open their doors to all potential candidates as they begin their search for a new coach following the sacking of Alastair Clarkson on Wednesday.

President Dr Sonja Hood fronted the media to explain the club’s decision and appeared to give a backhanded clip to the departed Clarkson.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Alastair Clarkson sacked by North Melbourne

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The four-time premiership coach was contracted until the end of 2027, but the club confirmed his departure in a shock move at the end of another disappointing season.

Clarkson will be given a six-month payout, worth around $500,000.

Speculation immediately linked club greats and former coaches Adam Simpson and John Longmire to the role, but Hood said the club aren’t targeting anyone in particular.

“Just to be really clear, we don’t have a pre-supposed idea for our next coach,” Hood said on Wednesday.

“So last time we chased the best person for the job. This time round our club’s in a very different position, our list is in a very different position, and we will let the market put up the best coach for this club.

“So we’ll make an announcement sometime next week on the process that that’ll take. But we will be looking for the best person to coach the North Melbourne football.”

Alastair Clarkson’s stint as North Melbourne coach is over. Credit: AAP

When asked specifically about what sort of coach they need, Hood appeared to give a clip to Clarkson by suggesting he isn’t the man to coach in the modern game.

“This club needs a coach who can coach for the modern game,” she said.

“It’ll be a coach who knows what they’re doing, and it’ll be the coach who’s the best fit for this club.”

Hood added that they hoped to have the appointment finalised before the trade period, but said nothing would change if it wasn’t.

“If we do, we do, but we’ve got a really strong football department and a very aligned football department, so that doesn’t change,” she said.

Football boss Todd Viney added: “Our strategy around the list management and our targets has been in place for a period of time. We don’t see the appointment of the coach to have any impact on that. Our needs would be clear to most, and we’re a long way down the path with those players.”

The club said Clarkson no longer had the belief from enough people to take them forward, and players were confused by the gameplan.

“Unfortunately there is still some gaping holes in our game plan, which we have been looking to try and fix,” Viney said.

“I think if there was one thing that Clarko did was he tried too hard to try and fix that and therefore what happens is we get into more meetings, more information and the players at the end of the day become a bit confused and we don’t get the cohesion that we need to win more games.

“The players have been very supportive of what Clarko has tried to produce ... (but) messages have become a little bit muddier and players feel they haven’t been clear.”

Hood, who declared Clarkson’s appointment had not been an error, and Viney expanded on why the club moved on Clarkson.

“Having consulted widely across the club, it has become clear that Alastair no longer has the belief from enough people at the club that he is the right coach to take this group forward,” Hood said.

“Once we knew that, it felt disrespectful to him to have him coach into 2027.

“We have made progress and won more games but we won’t shy away from our desire to want more from this talented group. This is unashamedly a football decision.

“Alastair, of course, believes he can turn this around – that’s part of what makes him so special. We don’t agree with him.”

Viney and Hood personally told Clarkson of the club’s decision on Tuesday night, revealing he was “upset” and “shocked” by the news.

“He didn’t see it coming,” Viney said.

“I know Clarko really well. He was frustrated. He’s disappointed, he’s a fighter.”

Clarkson, through his manager James Henderson, released a statement via social media.

“We set out to stabilise the club and lay the foundations for a return to playing deep in September,” he said.

“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.”

The 58-year-old finishes at North with a 25 per cent winning record (20-1-61) from 82 games.

North Melbourne are the third club to part ways with their senior coach this year, after Carlton sacked Michael Voss and Essendon fired Brad Scott.

— With AAP