North Melbourne has set their sights on reuniting senior coach Alastair Clarkson with three-time premiership Hawk Luke Breust in 2026, with 7 News' Mitch Cleary reporting that the Kangaroos are hoping to acquire the soon-to-be retired great in an off-field capacity.

North Melbourne are set to lose a number of key figures from their coaching ranks this off-season, notably Leigh Adams and Emma Kearney stepping away from their roles at the conclusion of the season. Their departures have opened up "at least one development coaching role", according to Cleary, with Breust's highly touted leadership abilities being seen as capable of providing a boost for the Arden Street-based outfit.

Breust has openly admitted to looking forward to remaining in the AFL industry, hence North Melbourne's keen interest, as he highlighted the enjoyment of passing on knowledge to young players in his twilight years when quizzed about his post-retirement plans.

“I'll try and stay in footy. Obviously, footy has been so good to me and I'd like to pass on some knowledge to the younger generation," Breust said on Triple M's Rush Hour with JB & Billy in August.

"Hopefully, there's some opportunities that pop up in terms of footy and staying in there.

"I've really started to enjoy the coaching side of things in the back end of the career and getting some satisfaction from [helping guys] like Dylan Moore, Nick Watson, and [Jack] Ginnivan and the guys coming through.

"When I see them do something on the weekend that we've been working on for 10 weeks, it's pretty cool."

North Melbourne won't be the only club in the hunt for Breust's off-field talents, with Hawthorn senior coach Sam Mitchell also welcoming the possibility of Breust joining the ranks, while Cleary reported that other clubs are "keen on luring" the 300-game star.

"Absolutely [I would want Breust in the coaching team]. I think he's going to be pretty well sought after in that area," Mitchell said in August.

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