North Melbourne is “in the box seat” to land Alastair Clarkson, having gone “all-in” to try and land the four-time premiership coach, reports Seven.
It comes as Ross Lyon declared a return to coaching had “not been on my radar”, but said he’d take a call from the Kangaroos “out of respect” if they approached him.
Clarkson, who spent most of his playing career at Arden Street including 93 games across the 1987-95 seasons, is reportedly seeking $1.6 million a year on his next contract.
That would blow away the current top coaches’ salaries. With the 2023 soft cap set for $6,950,000, it means the Kangaroos would be spending 23 per cent of their entire budget on Clarkson, reducing their ability to staff up around him.
For comparison, Sydney’s John Longmire is on an estimated $1m to $1.2m a year, Richmond triple premiership coach Damien Hardwick on an estimated $900,000 to $1.1 million, and West Coast’s Adam Simpson on an estimated $800,000 to $900,000.
Paul Roos’ $1.5 million per-year deal with the Demons in 2014 is widely considered the highest-paying coaching gig in football — Clarkson’s request would set a new benchmark.