North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson says even being on the moon wouldn't have been enough to escape feeling down in the dumps following last week's 124-point loss to Fremantle.
But the veteran coach insists he's not feeling the pressure with just 18 months left on his contract, backing his players to put in a much better showing in Saturday's clash with West Coast at Optus Stadium.
The Kangaroos conceded the last 19 goals of the match last week on the way to the 24.11 (155) to 4.7 (31) defeat in Bunbury.
It marked the equal seventh biggest loss in North's history, and was a huge step backwards for a club that had thought its lengthy rebuild was on track.
North have stayed in Perth since that loss - not that Clarkson thinks being on the road has helped protect his players from the fallout.
"It doesn't matter what bubble you're in, when you lose like that, you're in the loser's cape for a couple of days," Clarkson said.
"Particularly as the coach, it's like: 'what the hell went wrong?'
"It doesn't matter where you are. If you lose like that, you could be on the moon and still feel pretty down in the dumps."
In general, North (5-7) have made significant steps forward this year, giving them an outside chance of snaring a Wildcard finals berth.
But with Clarkson now in his fourth year at the helm and with his contract expiring at the end of 2027, he can't afford more ugly losses like the one against Fremantle.
"If they want to tap me on the shoulder (and) reckon I'm not doing a good enough job, then happy to move on," Clarkson said.
"But we've got a clear plan of what we're trying to do here.
"It's tough yards and there'll be inconsistencies with a younger side, but we want to try to iron out our inconsistencies so we can avoid losses like last week."
North Melbourne's deal to sell two home games a year to WA has come under the spotlight in the wake of the 124-point loss.
There's still one more year to run on the original three-year contract, and it remains to be seen whether it will be extended following last week's disaster in Bunbury.
"(You've been) waiting and learning your craft for so long ... we need your energy."
— North Melbourne FC (@NMFCOfficial) June 11, 2026
Taylor Goad will debut in Saturday's game against West Coast at Optus Stadium, 934 days after his name was read out at the 2023 @AFL draft 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ZOLZje53d7
Selling games to WA puts cash-strapped North at a clear disadvantage, but Clarkson denied the deal should be used as an excuse for poor on-field displays.
"We've been playing four games a year in Tasmania for the last few years," Clarkson said.
"You've got to balance the books somehow.
"Whether it's Melbourne going to Alice Springs, or Gold Coast going to Darwin, or teams coming in Tasmania - the bottom line is, if you become a good enough side, you'll win anywhere."
