North Melbourne lose senior assistant coach Brett Ratten

After assuming the position of head coach for North Melbourne midway through the season, Brett Ratten has revealed his intention to depart from the club in pursuit of fresh challenges.

Ratten, a former senior coach at both Carlton and St Kilda, joined the Arden Street team in November 2022 in a part-time assistant capacity under their new coach Alastair Clarkson.

However, his role quickly evolved as he was thrust into the role of senior caretaker coach following Clarkson’s decision to take time off in May to focus on his mental health, following claims of racism at Hawthorn during his record-breaking tenure at the club.

Over the course of 10 games, Ratten took the reins of the AFL side. Although North Melbourne didn’t secure a victory during this period, they came agonisingly close on multiple occasions.

“When I accepted the role at North Melbourne, my plan was to come in and help the club in any way I could for 12 months,” Ratten said on Friday.

“While the role ended up different from the one I initially assumed, I’ve cherished my experience here. Stepping in as the interim coach provided me with the opportunity to bid farewell to senior coaching, and that’s something I deeply appreciate.”

Despite expressing limited interest in pursuing another senior coaching position not long ago, Ratten confessed that he’s uncertain about his next steps, although they are likely to remain within the realm of football.

His temporary stint as the Roos’ coach brought his total of senior coaching games to 198.

The Roos finished the 2023 AFL season in 17th place, with just three wins, but did secure a final round win over the Gold Coast to avoid the wooden spoon.

They will be looking to bolster their list over the off-season, with a number of targets being linked to them, including Carlton speedster Zac Fisher. They will however have to fend of rival overtures for their troubled but highly talented star Tarryn Thomas, who has been linked to both Essendon and Collingwood.

More sports news