Why Clarko is intent on repaying North Melbourne

Alastair Clarkson is intent on paying North Melbourne back.

The veteran coach is plotting, toiling, planning and working towards another premiership with the Kangaroos who have been in the wilderness for some time.

Clarkson, who led Hawthorn to four flags, is in his fourth year of a five-year deal with the Roos and insists he’s not about to walk away anytime soon.

After North helped straighten him out when he was a teenager following the tragic death of his brother, Clarkson has always felt like he owed the Kangas something and there’s some unfinished business to take care of.

“I’ll do it for as long as I can help these kids chase their dream,” Clarkson said on SEN’s Fireball when asked how long he’ll coach for.

“And whilst I've still got that passion and whilst the club still thinks that I'm the bloke that can best steer them that way, yeah, I want to help this crew.

“I’ve been on record as saying that I had a tough period of time in my life, following the death of my brother in a car accident when I was 16.

“North were the ones that actually straightened me out and gave me an opportunity to play league footy and chase my dream.

“I’ve been involved in the game ever since, more or less, albeit one year out in between coaching jobs. I’ve loved my involvement in the game, I’ve got a great passion for it.

“Whilst I can help these kids and sort of repay North for what they did for me many, many years ago. The club needed some help and I was willing to come in to try and steer the club back in the right direction and we're on the right path with that, but a long, long way to go.”

Does Clarkson believe the five-year program at Arden Street is on the right track?

He is confident the club is in a positive position, while stressing just how difficult it is to rebuild by getting elite talent through your doors these days.

“We mentioned earlier how the first couple of years held us back a fair bit,” he replied.

“Yeah, I think we're starting to show some signs where people are seeing that North are more competitive, lasting in games longer, and actually winning some of those games now where 12 months ago or two years ago, we're losing them.

“Everyone wants to do it as quick as they possibly can, but this is a tough game. I think every club in the competition is probably realising that the rebuild side of things is just enormously difficult.

“The path and the levers and the mechanisms that you can use now to try to get talent into your footy club - you can't recruit out of New South Wales, you can't recruit out of Queensland, you can't recruit out of Northern Territory, in 12 months' time we can't recruit out of Tasmania.

“Yet all those clubs can still recruit out of and get that benefit of isolated recruiting in those areas, they can still recruit out of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria. So to get your talent is enormously difficult now.

“A total revamp, rebuild is really, really difficult, but some clubs are placed in that situation where you've got no choice. Others, if you've got the choice, then you don't go down that path.”

Clarko and his 4-2 Roos will look to improve their record when they meet GWS in Canberra on Sunday evening.