North Melbourne hall of fame member Ron Joseph is the latest to strike the Bombers with another brutal barb following their failed attempt to lure Alastair Clarkson to Tullamarine, stating he was never concerned with the Roos losing the former Hawks coach to Essendon's "drug money".
Clarkson was confirmed as the Roos' senior coach on Friday morning, four days after the Bombers' board spill that ignited their interest in the four-time premiership coach.
Essendon's rushed move, one Clarkson has noted to be a key reason in choosing North Melbourne, has only amplified criticism of the club's handling of their coaching hunt, with current senior coach Ben Rutten remaining at the helm for the time being.
An official decision from Essendon's board is set to come on Sunday after the club's 2022 campaign concludes against Richmond the night prior.
But while Essendon fans have been left angered and upset with their club, Joseph has only looked to make their rainy week worse.
Speaking toย News Corp,ย the former Kangaroos powerbroker hit out at the Bombers, labelling their headquarters a "spiritless, windswept hole".
โEssendon never frightened me. I never thought 'Clarko' would follow the drug money to Tullamarine,โ he said.
A North Melbourne legend says Alastair Clarkson was always heading to Arden St and would never accept "drug money" from Essendon.
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— SuperFooty (AFL) (@superfooty) August 19, 2022
โWhy would you want Kevin Sheedy looking over your shoulder at that spiritless, windswept hole they abandoned the iconic Windy Hill for?
โI could never see him going to the Giants where heโd have to pack his bags and move to Greater Western Sydney โ thatโs about as spiritless as Essendon.
โHe knows the North Melbourne people and the North Melbourne people know him. The whole thing just makes so much sense.
โNorth supporters have seen the steady disintegration of their club over the last decade and a half and today they will all be relieved. We are on the move again.โ
Clarkson thanked Joseph during his opening media conference as the Roos' new coach on Friday, cherishing the club's support during a difficult time in his life.
"I was going through a tough time in my life with the death of my brother, and needed some direction," Clarkson said.
"I couldn't have been blessed with better coaches in Denis Pagan and John Kennedy Sr. Those gentlemen, together with Ron Joseph and my wife, were so pivotal."
Clarkson will officially begin his tenure at Arden Street on November 1, with interim coach Leigh Adams set to lead the struggling side in their final match of the season against the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday at Marvel Stadium.
Joseph was a key figure in the club's rich successes through the 1970s.