Xavier Clarke is set to join North Melbourne as an assistant coach.
The Kangaroos announced this afternoon that Clarke will be joining the club after spending the past seven years in various coaching positions at Richmond.
North Melbourne made the announcement via a statement released on the club's official website on Tuesday.
The Kangaroos' General Manager of Football Todd Viney said he was pleased that the club was able to acquire a person of Clarke's quality.
"We are really pleased to have Xavier join our club," Viney said via the club's statement.
"A highly talented player and now a highly talented coach, Xavier understands what it takes to achieve the ultimate success having coached his own team, the NT Thunder, to a premiership and played a part in three premierships at Richmond.
"His eight years at Punt Road have seen him build his coaching experience and undertake an array of roles. He also understands the challenges that football can bring, having faced a number of injury setbacks over his career.
"The way in which he has forged a successful coaching career is a credit to him, and we see him as a perfect fit for our club."
(Image: Graham Denholm/Getty Images/AFL)
Clarke spent ten years in the AFL system as a player, registering 105 games with St Kilda and one with the Brisbane Lions.
The Larrakia and Amrreamo/Marritjavin man was a highly-talented junior footballer and was originally selected with pick five in the 2001 AFL National Draft.
Upon retiring from the AFL, he played in a Northern Territory Football League premiership with junior club St Mary's and began his coaching career with NEAFL club NT Thunder.
Clarke led the Thunder to a premiership in 2015 and the following year took up a position as a development coach with Richmond.
The Territorian has occupied numerous positions at the Tigers throughout their successful premiership years and has more recently spent time as the club's forward-line coach.
Last month, it was revealed that Clarke was shortlisted for the vacant Richmond senior coaching position.
He was interviewed for the role, but Adem Yze was later revealed as Damien Hardwick's successor as the new Tigers coach.
Clarke told SEN's Fridays in the Top End late last year that it would be a dream of his to take the reins as senior coach of an AFL club.
"I'd love to be able to coach my own team one day, there's no doubt about that," Clarke said.
Richmond also confirmed Clarke's exit from the club with the Tigers' General Manager of Football Performance Tim Livingstone expressing gratitude for his efforts.
"We would like to thank Xavier for his efforts across the past seven years working in our football program," he said, via a club statement.
"Xavier expressed an interest in moving on from Richmond to further his coaching credentials and expand his experiences, which we understand.
"He certainly made a big impact at our Club, and we wish him and his family all the best for the future."
