{"id":"2d49a99d-425c-4f45-a516-a83c97ba0162","url":"https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/we-loved-clarko-north-melbourne-veteran-reacts-to-ruthless-axing-of-coach-20260906-p60utx.html","domain":"smh.com.au","outlet":{"name":"Smh","country":"AU","cred":null,"lean":null,"curated":false},"title":"‘We loved Clarko’: North Melbourne veteran reacts to ruthless axing of coach","plainHeadline":"North Melbourne sacks coach Alastair Clarkson amid club concerns","rewrite":{"model":null,"at":null},"summary":["Luke McDonald says players loved Clarko and valued his impact.","Board decision to sack four-time premiership coach Clarkson was unanimous.","Viney criticised Clarkson's performance as having 'gaping' holes in gameplan.","Team has not played finals since 2016 and seeks a new coach.","McDonald emphasises support for the club while aiming for September footy."],"topics":["Sports","Politics","Finance"],"lang":"eng","publishedAt":"2026-09-06T02:56:44.000Z","ingestedAt":"2026-09-06T03:08:43.541Z","story":null}