North Melbourne has parted ways with veteran coach Alastair Clarkson.
The Kangaroos playing group was called into an impromptu meeting at 11.45am on Wednesday.
Clarkson, who won four premierships as coach at Hawthorn, had one year remaining on his lucrative contract.
Club president Sonja Hood confirmed the decision, thanking Clarkson for his service and wishing him well for the future.
The former North Melbourne player coached the Roos for four seasons, winning just 20 of his 82 matches.
North Melbourne unquestionably improved this year by winning nine matches but ultimately fell short of the extended finals series.
“We asked Alastair to give our club stability and strength and help return us to the top of the AFL ladder,” Dr Hood said.
“Four years later, we have created an environment where our staff and players want to be at our club.
“This is a testament to the culture Alastair has helped create and the belief that he has built in this group.
“Although we have clearly made progress and won more games, we won’t shy away from our desire to want more from this talented group.
“We are incredibly grateful to Alastair for the work he’s done over the last four years and we wish him all the very best for his next chapter.”