A SENTIMENTAL Alastair Clarkson says he never gave Essendon's coaching search "serious consideration", revealing his past history with North Melbourne became a genuine factor in his decision to join the club as its new coach.
Clarkson rejected overtures to replace contracted Bombers coach Ben Rutten and described the situation as "unsavoury", having been approached about the position by their new president David Barham earlier this week.
The four-time former Hawthorn premiership coach said he came to a decision on his coaching future at 7.30pm AEST on Thursday night and officially signed a five-year deal with the Kangaroos on Friday morning.
ROOS GET THEIR MAN Clarkson returns to Arden St
It followed a drawn-out battle between North Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney for Clarkson to fill their coaching vacancies, which Essendon only became involved in on Monday.
"I didn't really want to have ongoing discussions with the Bombers, to be fair," Clarkson said.
"I met briefly with David Barham on Tuesday and then I knew I was going to be away on Wednesday and Thursday. We were just so far down the track with the North Melbourne and the GWS decisions that the whole process just came far too late to give (Essendon) really serious consideration.
"Out of fairness to the people that I know at the Bombers ... it was really out of respect for those people and I had to repay that respect in a dignified way and at least listen to what they had to say.
"But the due diligence required to actually consider coaching a club takes a hell of a lot more than four days for me. It just ran out of time. In a different set of circumstances and at a different time, who knows? But this was the right fit for me right now."
Clarkson left Hawthorn at the end of 2021 after a 17-year stint in charge of the club that brought premierships in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015, saying he rediscovered his passion for coaching while working with the staff at NBA side the Golden State Warriors during their recent championship run.
His decision to get back into coaching from 2023 onwards brought out offers from both the Kangaroos and the Giants, with the former opting to deal exclusively with Clarkson as it looked to replace the recently departed David Noble.
Essendon then approached Clarkson earlier this week, despite its coach Rutten still being contracted – and having not yet been sacked – with the new North Melbourne coach saying he didn't enjoy how the situation played out.
"I was aware that it was becoming a circus," Clarkson said.
"I hate being the centre of attention and I don't like the fact that, in essence, you've taken hostage of the game until a decision is made.
TROUBLE AT TULLAMARINE Rutten remains in limbo, Barham apologises
"It really disappoints me, what's unfolded with 'Truck' Rutten out at the Bombers. He's a good man and he's a good football person. I hope, somehow, that can be resurrected as a result of the decision made today.
"The decision is based on a little bit of sentiment, but also the excitement of what we think we can do here. We've got a group of guys that have been through a tough year, but I feel like there's real optimism with where we can go over the next few years."
Clarkson was a former 93-game player with North Melbourne during a nine-year stint at the club between 1987-95, saying he remembered travelling to Arden Street and watching games at its home base as a nine-year-old.
He said that connection became a significant factor in his decision to re-join the club as its new coach, adding he didn't believe a turnaround in form was too far away following the side's dismal 2-19 season so far.
"I look at what transpired at Hawthorn when I arrived there at the end of 2004. My vision at that point in time was that it was going to be a six, seven or eight-year process to take a team from the bottom rungs of the ladder up to the top and it happened in four years," Clarkson said.
"Who knows what happens in footy? I've been involved in this game for a long, long period of time now and there's no silver bullet with this. Sometimes it just takes a lot of hard work, getting good people together and really tying them into a vision where you bring a lot of good people along with you and you include your supporters in that.
"I don't see any difference between North Melbourne or (junior club) Kaniva or a club that's in the amateurs. It's about people and it's about community. If you can bring all of those people together, galvanise them and make them feel like there's this sense of club and togetherness, then you can do some very special things and you can do them quickly."
Clarkson backed in the existing playing group and football department to help drive that improvement, but said he won't go to the club's round 23 clash against Gold Coast on Saturday to avoid being a distraction.
