Jenkins calls on North coaching after "despicable" performance

A rather disappointing Saturday night display saw North Melbourne defeated by 65 points at the hands of a heavily depleted Sydney side.

With several top players absent, the Swans were able to cruise home with 10 goals to three in the second half, handing last year’s Grand Finalists their second win of the season.

With plenty of promise entering 2025, North Melbourne have managed just the one victory thus far, falling short in a contest many thought the young Kangaroos could win.

As expectations of the Kangaroos continue to grow as the list develops, former AFL player Josh Jenkins believes that their showing against the Swans left a lot to be desired.

“I couldn’t be more disappointed,” Jenkins told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“At the end of the first quarter, they gave away two goals in absolute red time. In the second quarter, they gave away a late goal as well, Caleb Daniel turned one over late.

“So, the margin was only what they had given away at the very, very end of both quarters. So, you are thinking ‘okay, tidy that up, be a bit more composed and a bit calmer in those moments and you are in the game’.

“Third quarter begins, the Swans get a goal from the first centre bounce, and it is absolutely downhill from there.

“Seven goals three to one goal two in the third quarter, and we thought to ourselves ‘gee, we did not think North Melbourne were still in that space’.

“The fourth quarter was even worse, and that's what I want to dive in on. The third quarter was despicable, but the fourth quarter was worse.”

Coach Alastair Clarkson has been in charge at North Melbourne since 2023, with just seven wins in 33 games to this point.

“I cannot identify a game style, and that is on the coaches,” Jenkins continued.

“The players have to execute, and I’ve got no doubt in the world that there is a game style and there is a game plan, but when the you-know-what hits the fan, their game style is unrecognisable.

“They go from handball happy, particularly in the back half, and their answer in the last quarter was just to flick handballs haphazardly in the back half.

“We are talking about guys like (Aidan) Corr, Caleb Daniel looked really out of sorts last night. These guys in the back half, Darcy Tucker, they are not overly composed players.

“They invited so much of the pressure with the way they tried to play the game. It was as bad a performance as we have seen in the Clarkson era because we now have a level of expectation that they did not meet.”

North Melbourne will have to bounce back in a big way if they want to secure a positive result in their Gather Round clash with the undefeated Gold Coast Suns next Saturday.