Alastair Clarkson departing as North Melbourne coach following the 2026 season will likely draw the curtain on the four-time Jock McHale Medallist's coaching career.
Regarded upon arrival at the Kangaroos as one of the greatest coaches in league history, he won just 20 of his 82 games at the helm of the Roos, falling short of being the saviour the club hoped he would be when bringing him in.
He oversaw a difficult period for the club, which has not played finals since 2016, with progress back towards competing for finals slow.
It will take the passage of time to determine exactly how his tenure is reflected upon, but he wasn't the panacea North Melbourne hoped he would be.
During his time at Hawthorn, he transformed them into a destination club and within four seasons lifted them off the canvas to a flag, kick-starting one of the greatest eras in league history.
He was never able to do so with the Kangaroos, with a host of big names including Dustin Martin and Jordan De Goey offered big money to join the club, but no big fish has ever been convinced by the direction and culture of the club despite many big money offers.
Clarkson was often critical of the impurity of the AFL Draft, which he believed put a significant handbrake on North Melbourne's rebuild.
But in an era where player movement has become so central to the best teams' success, Clarkson was never able to nail it.
The counterargument is that without clean access to young talent, and given there were also several drafting mistakes made by the club in the lead-up to, and during his tenure - none more so than Jason Horne-Francis - his ability to sell the club was limited.
The Horne-Francis failure particularly set them back, while gaining players like Zac Fisher, Dylan Stephens, Caleb Daniel and Griffin Logue has done little to move the needle, and whether youngsters could have been blooded instead is a worthwhile question.
Furthermore, while the Hawks had plenty of future AFL senior coaches cycle through and develop under Clarkson - who Clarkson is often credited with developing - a talking point at times during his North Melbourne tenure was that he lacked high-quality support.
It's hard to pinpoint a singular highlight of Clarkson's time in charge given the club's poor record against finalists in recent years, but a stunning draw in Launceston with back-to-back premiers Brisbane in the middle of last year stands out.
"Northball" was promoted as a new frontier for the club for a period last year and looked good in stages and created excitement, but it was arguably as much a marketing ploy as anything else given the 5-17 record.
A theme entering this year was that North Melbourne would combine that dare with defending the ground more effectively, but only Richmond, West Coast and Essendon conceded more points than the Roos this year.
Part of his appointment was putting North Melbourne back on the map.
When Clarkson speaks, the AFL industry listens given his reputation in the game.
But the Kangaroos remained largely off-Broadway and struggled for relevance as the old adage that results do more than talk in the sports industry rang true.
A fine for a homophobic slur in 2024 also did not help.
Clarkson's tenure wasn't without personal challenges, with the coach stepping aside for part of the 2023 season due to mental health issues
Outside of Mick Malthouse, renowned coaches have always struggled to replicate their greatness at a second club in the AFL era, and the same fate befell Clarkson, who struggled to progress the club as quickly as hoped.
As a combative character and old-school motivator, questions will be asked about whether he sufficiently evolved during his time at North Melbourne or whether the art of coaching moved past his methods.
A fiery confrontation on game day earlier this year with Colby McKercher drew criticism but was symbolic of his hard style, which many new-age coaches are moving away from.
A big part of Clarkson's legacy will also be his eye on overseas sport to move his own club forward, with Clarkson ahead of his time in looking abroad - something which is now commonplace.
Under his watch, several Kangaroos took significant steps forward, which should set them up to compete for finals in 2027.
Cooper Trembath, Harry Sheezel, Paul Curtis, George Wardlaw, Colby McKercher and Finn O'Sullivan are among the players he nurtured who will carry the club forward.
But with a $1 million payout and having brought Clarkson in on a lucrative contract, it is impossible to mount an argument that it was a winning appointment.
From the club's perspective, it will be critical to quickly lock in a replacement so there is a narrative to sell during the trade period.
Parting ways so close to the player movement window is not ideal, but arguably even less optimal is bringing players to a club which faces the spectre of a coaching great entering the last year of his contract.
Regardless, what should not be forgotten in the editorialising of Wednesday's events at Arden Street is that Clarkson achieved the pinnacle as coach four times, and he should be regarded as one of the best in the history of his field.
