Kangaroos confirm new coach after sacking Clarkson
North Melbourne have finalised their search for a new head coach, with Jaymie Graham set to take the reins for 2027 and beyond.
The Roos have confirmed that the Fremantle assistant has won the race and will fill the void left by Alastair Clarkson, who was sacked by the Kangaroos last month.
Jaymie Graham. Getty Images
9News Melbourne reporter Trent Kniese on Monday confirmed Graham was spotted arriving at Arden Street alongside the club’s board members and captain Nick Larkey.
Nathan Buckley removed himself from the race on Sunday, which opened the door even wider for Graham to walk through and land the position.
Graham had previously vied for the vacant Carlton and Essendon jobs, but was overlooked in favour of Josh Fraser and Mark McVeigh respectively.
The 43-year-old has coached a handful of games at AFL level before, filling in at West Coast and Fremantle during his time as an assistant at both clubs.
North Melbourne president Dr Sonja Hood confirmed the news to members on Tuesday morning.
“I’m delighted to announce that Jaymie Graham is the new senior coach of our AFL team,” she said.
“You’ll learn more about Jaymie’s personal and football journey in the coming days and weeks, but let me say he has the resilience to handle the relentless toils of the football environment, carrying the exact kind of grit we value at North Melbourne.
“As a coach, Jaymie is a process-driven leader with a quiet, grounded presence, sharp attention to detail, and a clear football vision.
“Outside of his exceptional character, he joins us with a proven skill set. He played a key role in West Coast’s 2018 premiership success, and more recently he was the line coach for one of the competition’s best forward lines at Fremantle as part of a high-performing program.
“He is widely respected across the industry as a developer of talent and a connector of people – someone who builds strong player relationships instantly and earns respect through his actions.”
