The 54-year-old was on Friday confirmed as North Melbourne's coach for the next five years, ending a dramatic tussle for his services between the Kangaroos and Essendon.

Clarkson met with new Essendon president David Barham on Tuesday, before deciding on Thursday night he would coach the Kangaroos.

North have dealt exclusively with the four-time Hawthorn premiership coach since they parted ways with David Noble in July.

Clarkson had also been considering an offer from GWS, but was reluctant to move his family to Sydney.

Essendon's interest came following a disastrous thumping against Port Adelaide on Sunday night, as board turmoil resulted in Barham overthrowing Paul Brasher for the club's presidency.

"That's something that came from left-field, and it's probably out of respect for the Essendon club that I needed to listen to what they had to say," Clarkson said at Arden St on Friday

"I'd be silly not to explore it if it was there.

"It was really out of respect for those people that I had to repay that respect in a dignified way to see what they at least had to say."

A noted perfectionist, Clarkson had been carefully weighing up the vacant positions at North and the Giants for more than a month.

"The due diligence required to actually consider coaching a club takes a hell of a lot more than four days for me," Clarkson said.

"They've just ran out of time, different set of circumstances and a different time, who knows.

"We were so far down the track with the North Melbourne and GWS decisions that that whole process just came far too late to give it really serious consideration."

Clarkson said he felt sorry for embattled Essendon coach Ben Rutten, whose future hangs in the balance due to the Bombers unsuccessful bid to lure the AFL coaching great.

"The circumstances around how that all unfolded was a little bit unsavoury, to be fair, but that's environment we live in," Clarkson said.

"It really disappoints me what's unfolded with Truck (Rutten) out at the Bombers, he's a good man, he's a good football person."

Australian Associated Press