North begin search for new coach as CEO is spotted with ex-Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley

North Melbourne have kicked off the search for David Noble’s replacement, with the club’s chief executive spotted with Nathan Buckley while the president admitted she plan to open talks with Alastair Clarkson.

The hapless Kangaroos parted ways with Noble last week, with the 55-year-old unable to inspire his struggling side amid a terrible 2022 campaign. 

On Friday, North chief executive Ben Amarfio was spotted going for a walk with Buckley, who coached Collingwood for nine seasons before stepping down from his role at the end of the 2021 campaign.

Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley (left) was spotted out for a walk with his close friend and North Melbourne chief executive Ben Amarfio

The seven-time All-Australian won 117 of his 218 games in charge of the Magpies, taking them to the Grand Final in 2018 – hitherto their last appearance in the biggest game of the AFL season.

Amarfio and Buckley are close friends and the Kangaroos CEO revealed the former Collingwood boss has no interest in returning to coaching for the time being.

‘Nathan has zero interest in coaching. I knew that before our walk,’ he told News Corp.

Buckley, who currently works as an analyst for Fox Footy and SEN, made clear this year that he did not miss the stress of coaching and was not in any rush to return to footy.

Amarfio, however, told News Corp that Buckley had no intention of returning to coaching yet

The former Collingwood coach is enjoying his punditry role with Fox Footy and SEN

‘I don’t feel the need to bring that stress back into my life at this point,’ he said.

‘If I don’t have that in my heart then I can’t do it for myself first and foremost, but I wouldn’t be doing the right thing by an organisation walking in if you were three-quarters ready.

‘I can’t see myself doing it next year.’

Kangaroos president Dr Sonja Hood admitted she ‘would like’ to speak with Alastair Clarkson

Clarkson (right) won four premierships in a 17-season spell at Hawthorn, which ended last year

Meanwhile, Kangaroos president Dr Sonja Hood admitted she ‘would like’ to speak with Clarkson, who won four premierships while in charge of Hawthorn.

‘I’d like to speak to him,’ she told the Herald Sun.

‘I’d like to have a conversation with him aside from everything else and even if he didn’t end up being the coach, I’d love to have a conversation with him.’

Asked whether she would consider Clarkson as a viable candidate to replace Noble, she replied: ‘I would.  I’m aware there’s no silver bullet solution to North’s footy problems. Again, we’ve got work to do getting our structure right and our organisation right.’

David Noble was fired by the Kangaroos after winning just five of his 38 games in charge

The Kangaroos are bottom of the ladder with just one win in 15 games this season  

Noble’s replacement will be the Kangaroos’ fourth permanent coach in three years, since Brad Scott resigned halfway through the 2019 season after nine years in charge.

Rhyce Shaw was in charge for 29 games before he stepped away at the end of the 2020 campaign, with Noble stepping in. 

The 55-year-old’s reign, however, lasted just 38 games and he was given his marching orders with the Kangaroos bottom of the AFL ladder with one in 15 games this season.