New name in the mix for North coaching job

There is a new name in the North Melbourne coaching mix.

SEN’s Tom Morris is reporting that Hawthorn's David Hale is expected to present to the Kangaroos.

The Hawks assistant coach of strategy and opposition played 129 games for the Roos from 2003 to 2010 before winning three premierships in brown and gold.

Hale first joined Fremantle as an assistant coach in 2015 and was caretaker for one game in 2019 after Ross Lyon’s departure. He returned to the Hawks in late 2021.

“I believe there’s a name for the North Melbourne coaching process that hasn’t been mentioned,” Morris said on AFL Trade Radio.

“We know that Daniel Giansiracusa is in the mix, we know that Nathan Buckley is in the mix and we know that Jaymie Graham is in the mix.

“We can also tell you this morning that David Hale is in the mix.

“Hale is an assistant coach at Hawthorn, he coached Fremantle very briefly as an interim coach, and has been around the mark for a couple of coaching jobs in the last couple of years.

“If he hasn’t had a coffee catch-up then he will soon. I think he’ll present in the next period of time as well, I’m told he’s a very good presenter.

“That is four names. I’m not sure if there’s a fifth name but those are the only four names I can confirm that are in the mix to succeed Alastair Clarkson as North Melbourne coach.

“He is one of the most highly-regarded assistant coach around the league. I don’t have him in front of Jaymie Graham or Nathan Buckley but he’s certainly in the mix.”

Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell spent time with Hale at the Hawks and spoke of his tactical nous.

“I worked with ‘Storm’ for a year or two at Hawthorn. I didn’t have a whole lot to do with him because he was working with the forwards,” Mitchell added.

“But I did really like some of the tactical things he did bring from Fremantle to Hawthorn. He added some really cool tactical things.

“I really liked some of his footy smarts. He was a really smart footballer himself when he played throughout that Hawthorn premiership era.”

The Roos frontrunner

Earlier this week, Morris had Freo assistant Graham was the frontrunner in the North coaching race.

Graham went through the process for both the Essendon and Carlton jobs but was unsuccessful in both pursuits.

Morris reported that he will be back in Melbourne to hold talks with the Kangaroos later this week having returned to Perth following Freo’s Grand Final loss on the weekend.

But Graham has plenty of competition for the role.

“The North Melbourne coaching process will ramp up now,” Morris said on Fireball.

“Jaymie Graham has gone back to Perth, my understanding is he’ll be back in Melbourne this week to speak to North Melbourne face to face.

“He is one of the frontrunners, if not, the frontrunner.

“I said last week - and I maintain this - Nathan Buckley is in this up to his eyeballs. I’m in the Buckley camp, I think he’s a red hot chance.

“Xander McGuire reported last week that North Melbourne caught up with Corey Enright, who is clearly still in it as well.

“But I think Graham and Buckley are very much at the top of the tree here.

“Then Daniel Giansiracusa has been mentioned as well.”