North Melbourne has been forced to make an apology to Essendon following an incident last month.
According to a report by SEN, the Kangaroos made an apology after former coach Alastair Clarkson made an inappropriate remark in a lift with Bombers AFLW players.
It made reference to the allegations levelled against Sydney's quintet of players who have been stood down.
Clarkson was immediately contrite and himself apologised to the Essendon players, with the incident occurring on August 23.
The club accepted the apology and it played no part in their decision to terminate his contract, which was announced earlier in the day.
The club announced the decision on Wednesday, moving promptly after deciding they would extend his contract beyond 2027.
The incident involving Essendon follows a $20,000 fine in 2024 to Clarkson for using homophobic language and is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the mastermind coach.
