New Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson,experienced football executive Peter Jackson,and North Melbourne president Sonja Hood.

New Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson,experienced football executive Peter Jackson,and North Melbourne president Sonja Hood.Credit:Joe Armao,Getty Images.

Jackson has emerged as a secret weapon unofficially employed by the North board in an advisory role in recent weeks as the club worked towards securing Clarkson.

Jackson is considered by some senior Kangaroos as an ideal interim chief executive. However,it is more likely that a potential role would be as a short-term consultant to the board as it implements the findings of the football restructure recommended by theGeoff Walsh review.

Amarfio was notably absent from the podium,but was in the room watching on,when the Roos unveiled Clarkson as coach last Friday,and did not play a key role in the recruitment of the four-time premiership coach.

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With Clarkson officially taking on the role for at least the next five years from November 1,Hood has indicated a raft of changes to key personnel across football and,notably,recruiting. She did not rule out Walsh,a former North CEO,briefly returning in a consultancy role to help oversee the changes.

Jackson,who was strongly recommended to Hood by Paul Roos,was previously installed by the AFL to oversee the rebuilding of the beleaguered Melbourne Football Club,a role he held from 2013 until 2019.

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Inducted as an AFL Life Member in 2020 he was CEO of Essendon from 1996 until 2009 - a period that saw the Bombers’ most recent premiership in 2000. He has also taken on a series of other troubleshooting roles across the AFL. Those include consultancies at the Western Bulldogs and most recently conducted a review of the AFL’s Indigenous Advisory Board.

Clarkson conceded on Friday that he needed strong and experienced people around him to succeed in the new coaching job. He is expected to bringformer Hawthorn colleague Todd Viney with him to North Melbourne in a coaching development role.

The Age contacted Hood and Jackson for comment.

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