AFL great Buddy Franklin weighs in on bombshell sacking of North Melbourne coach and puts forward his old Sydney Swans mentor for the role
Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin has nominated his former Sydney Swans coach John Longmire as a surprise contender to replace Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne.
The Kangaroos sacked Clarkson on Tuesday despite the four-time premiership coach having another year remaining on his contract.
North confirmed the decision to players during an impromptu meeting on Wednesday morning, bringing Clarkson’s four-season tenure to an end.
A search for his successor is now underway, with former West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson expected to feature prominently in discussions.
However, Franklin floated another decorated coach for the vacancy while responding to an Instagram video posted by AFL commentator Kane Cornes.
‘Horse incoming,’ Franklin wrote, using Longmire’s well-known nickname.
AFL great Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin has named Sydney coach John Longmire as a contender for North Melbourne’s vacancy
The brief comment immediately raised the prospect of Longmire returning to the club where he played 200 games and kicked 511 goals between 1988 and 1999.
Longmire also won the Coleman Medal in 1990 and was a member of North Melbourne’s 1999 premiership team.
He later built a celebrated coaching career at Sydney, where he worked closely with Franklin for a decade.
Longmire played a key role in bringing the superstar forward to the Swans from Hawthorn at the end of 2013.
The enormous nine-year deal, reportedly worth $10million, stunned the AFL after Sydney kept the negotiations secret for months.
Franklin went on to become one of the most important players of Longmire’s tenure.
The pair reached multiple grand finals together and shared one of the AFL’s most memorable modern moments when Franklin kicked his 1000th career goal at the SCG in 2022.
Longmire has previously described coaching Franklin as one of the greatest joys of his career.
Clarkson was contracted through 2027 but North Melbourne decided to dismiss its four-time premiership coach after four seasons
Longmire coached Franklin throughout his decorated Sydney career after helping secure the superstar forward’s stunning move from Hawthorn
Franklin retired in July 2023 following an injury-interrupted final season.
His suggestion came after Cornes nominated Simpson as the most obvious candidate for North’s newly vacant position.
Cornes delivered his verdict in a bizarre shirtless Instagram video, which appeared to mock Clarkson’s famous training stunt from 2019.
‘Sorry I don’t have a shirt on, just got tied up and couldn’t actually find the time to grab one,’ Cornes began.
Clarkson ran around Manuka Oval without a shirt during Hawthorn’s final training session in Canberra seven years ago.
The coach was reportedly making a point after banning his players from wearing long-sleeve jerseys.
‘Alastair Clarkson, sacked. What are my thoughts?’ Cornes continued.
‘Well, all of a sudden they need a Plan B and we’ll wait for further details in the media conference.
North Melbourne president Sonja Hood thanked Clarkson for improving the club’s culture while admitting the Kangaroos wanted greater progress
‘But Sonja Hood is under immense pressure. Alastair Clarkson was her pick, no Plan B and it hasn’t worked.
‘Get the feeling he didn’t quite resonate with the modern player and connect with them.
‘And clearly the defensive woes were a big issue.
‘Adam Simpson appears to be the obvious choice. He’s had some strong thoughts on North Melbourne and their game plan and their personnel, club legend standing by ready to take that job.’
Simpson played 306 games for the Kangaroos and was a member of their 1996 and 1999 premiership sides before coaching West Coast to the 2018 flag.
Clarkson leaves North with 20 wins, one draw and 61 losses from 82 games, giving him a winning rate of 25 per cent.
The Kangaroos showed improvement in 2026, finishing 14th with nine victories, but the club decided it needed a new coach to take the playing group forward.
President Sonja Hood credited Clarkson with creating greater stability and belief at Arden Street.
‘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,’ she said.
‘We are incredibly grateful to Alastair f