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FIFA World Cup 2026 schedulePoorest I've ever seen: King scathes "uncompetitive" Roos
Jaiden Sciberras • June 8th, 2026 10:25 am
North Melbourne failed to turn up to Bunbury, and David King isn't overly pleased by the club's disastrous effort.
Facing ladder leaders Fremantle in a home game... in WA, the Kangaroos put on a dire performance, conceding an unacceptable 19 straight goals to lose by 124 points on Saturday.
After George Wardlaw booted the club's fourth goal at the seven minute mark of the second term, the Roos failed to kick another goal for the rest of the game, leaking 19 the other way in one of the worst performances of the season.
Demolished in every facet, the Dockers ran rings around Alastair Clarkson's men, who many thought were ready to challenge for September this season.
In a rather scathing review, David King outlined his disappointment with the club's leaders amid a calamitous contest out west.
“It was one of the poorest performances I’ve ever seen,” King told SEN Fireball.
“They legit phoned it in. Just uncompetitive.
“It’s hard to go after individuals when it’s like this but in the end, the designated leaders are there for a reason.
“The one thing that frustrates me is that when you can feel it sliding like this, sometimes you just need someone to walk into the middle and demand more.
“I’m hard on the leaders at any club, because this is why you get the stripes and you get the extra cash and you get your name on the locker with a little C next to it, or vice-captain, whoever you are.
“I would have loved to have seen Nick Larkey walk into the middle of the ground halfway through this onslaught and say, ‘hey, what’s going on here?’.
“Or, put himself at centre half back, put himself into the ruck, put himself into the game, instead of just withering on the vine in the forward half.
“I just didn’t think there was enough intervention from the leaders.”
Kane Cornes added: “Why isn’t that Tristan Xerri?
“He’s taken a big, long-term deal, he is the guy that has been the guy to do that. Why isn’t that Luke Davies-Uniacke?
“Colby McKercher and Harry Sheezel, I know they’re not the captains…”
King: “It’s different if the captain does it.”
Cornes: “Break glass in case of emergency. You can’t do that every time, but that was worthy.”
King: “‘You’re out, I’m coming in. I shouldn’t be in here; I’m only coming in because you’ve been shizen!’.
Following their big come-from-behind victory over Gold Coast in Round 11, North Melbourne president Sonja Hood sent out a letter to the members, outlining the club’s progress both on and off the field.
While the club has evidently taken steps forward this season, Cornes believes North Melbourne find comfort far too easily, crediting themselves for their own efforts a little too prematurely.
“They are easily satisfied as a football club,” he said.
“They have little wins and they go okay, we’ve arrived. We’ve beaten Gold Coast… there’s just a comfortability and a satisfaction that can come into young playing groups, but it just happens too often.
“How else do you explain 19 goals in a row other than they got ahead of themselves, they were comfortable, Alastair Clarkson thought it’s all happening for us here, the youngsters are thriving.
“It was only one really strong quarter against Gold Coast; the first half was average. Why does this group get ahead of themselves?”
King: “I don’t have the answer to that.
“It’s not physical, that’s the bottom line. Somewhere there is a lack of absolute ruthlessness with your mental preparation, because they just weren’t there.”
Cornes: “Is it just that they know they’re going to get a game every week?
“Cam Zurhaar will play every week, no worries. Why doesn’t he go in the middle? Why doesn’t Zurhaar go in the middle and crash a few packs.”
King: “Because he is not the answer”
Cornes: “But he could be if he wanted to be. Go and throw your weight around. He knows he is going to play. McKercher, Sheezel, they are all going to play.
“They’ve all got long term deals, they are all comfortable, they’re not going to lose their place at selection, and they are just satisfied with what they are doing. That’s the way I see it.”
King: “When they put in a performance like this, you’re entitled to take it down any path you like, because that is just unacceptable. I tell you, I look forward to this week.
“They’ve got a great run; their next three weeks you’ll find out if they have or haven’t improved.
“To this point, you have to say they have improved, but the weekend was a huge step backwards.”
Cornes: “Let’s see. If they win this week against West Coast, which they will, whether they get satisfied again and whether there’s another letter to the members that goes out about their growth and their improvement.”
King: “And then put your hand out for a contract. Clarko, by all reports, there have been some inquiries made about an extension.”
Cornes: “There isn’t a world in which Alastair Clarkson is signed nowhere near before the halfway point of next year.
“You could win a final this year and you wouldn’t be signing Clarko in the offseason. No one is poaching Clarko, let him coach into next year. Why would we be extending him now or at the end of the year?”
King: “They’ve had some amazing decisions in the past; I’m not going to put anything past them!”
