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"What are you trying to achieve?": King's brutal assessment of the Kangaroos
SEN • July 27th, 2025 4:32 pm
After years of rebuilding, bottoming out, taking top talent and repeatedly falling at the first hurdle, the Kangaroos appear to be right back at square one.
On Saturday night, North Melbourne were handed a reality check, belted by 101-points at the hands of Geelong. Jeremy Cameron kicked 11 goals, Bailey Smith had 43 touches, 13 clearances and a goal, and Patrick Dangerfield had a kebab after being substituted early in the clash.
The Roos were dominated in nearly every facet of the game, and now, sitting in 17th place, they could be facing a sixth consecutive bottom two finish.
Speaking on Fox Footy, former Roo and SEN Breakfast host David King was rather honest in his assessment of the club.
“(The North Melbourne rooms) would be an awful place to be at the moment,” King told Fox Footy post-game.
“It’s a tough one, because when you watch them play, it’s kind of difficult to work out what they’re trying to execute.
“Are they handballing when the options are available, and then run and gun? Or is it take territory and get numbers to drop of ball? Is it a mix of both? I don’t know what they’re doing defensively; that’s just not working at all — 40 scores (against) tonight.
“If you look at the intercept game, the AFL average is around 65 (intercepts per game). You win it back 65 times, and you score about 50 points. Tonight, the Cats – from 58 intercepts, 27 scores.
“They just smashed them; they walked through them. The amount of times Jeremy Cameron was out the back by himself, and it’d be uncontested possession, uncontested possession, goal.”
Speaking on the club’s lack of direction over previous years, King believes that questions must be asked over whether the team has the connection required – from the senior decision makers down to the players - to progress up the ladder.
“I’d love to ask Alastair Clarkson ‘what are you trying to achieve?’” King continued.
“Show us what it should look like, and then we can at least enjoy the ride, because we just go week on week where we don’t see it. We have seen it in patches throughout the year, but we’re not seeing it now.
“I know the ruckman’s (Tristan Xerri) not there, I know Nick Larkey’s not there, but that shouldn’t have as big an effect as what it does on their ability to stop the opposition moving the ball full length of the ground.”
Having failed to exceed 17th position since 2019, King has started to question the club beyond the football field.
“I think you have a blind faith in the club that the decision-makers will get it right,” he continued.
“Words are cheap. It’s really hard to just listen to the same conversation over and over and over. It’s a tough place to be, there’s no doubt about that, but Alastair Clarkson is here to get them out of the doldrums.
“What are we, third year in? A penny for (Alastair Clarkson’s) thoughts, is he able to do what he once thought he could do with this group? Are there any doubts there?
“You walk off the ground again tonight, you have to doubt your own plan. You’ve got (Jack) Darling, (Luke) Parker and (Caleb) Daniel to the club to try and stiffen up with a bit of seniority - that doesn’t look like it’s working as well as it probably should.
“It’s not a talent issue, this is a system problem. You can be really brutal and say, ‘it’s coaching’, but it’s also performance of that system.
“Where’s the disconnect? Are the players not understanding? Are they not prepared to work hard enough to ensure the system works?
“I think they’re good enough, and I don’t think they’re that young that they can’t compete defensively. That’s not really a talent issue.
“I’m the same as all those people in the room and I'm the same as all those watching on. I don’t understand the system, because I see so many flaws in it, so many holes in it.
“I don’t see it. It’s not consistent enough to say, ‘this is their identifiable brand’, and I think when you see 150 points against, I even think they’d say, ‘you wouldn’t be able to see it tonight.’”
With just four wins on the season and four games remaining, the Kangaroos – without possession of their first round pick – are staring down the barrel of yet another disastrous season.
