Former captain Jack Ziebell is adamant North Melbourne will not lose focus despite a series of off-field distractions threatening to derail their progress under Alastair Clarkson.
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The Kangaroos are in the midst of an important pre-season, laced with expectation they will turn a corner with Clarkson at the helm after successive wooden spoons.
But the club has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, with young star Tarryn Thomas taking time away from football as he faces allegations of mistreating women.
Clarkson, too, is embroiled in controversy amid the ongoing investigation into allegations of racism during his time at Hawthorn, which he denies.
Meanwhile, Kangaroos president Sonja Hood is set to undergo surgery after a shock breast cancer diagnosis last week.
Ziebell, who said he had reached out to Thomas in recent days, insists the players' minds are on the task at hand with just five weeks left until round one.
"We've got a job to do on the field. We come in and we've got to get our work done," Ziebell said.
"The club has made that decision (on Thomas) and as players we've just got to come in and do our work."
Thomas hit the headlines in January after being charged with threatening to distribute an intimate image.
In a separate incident, he was stopped by police when driving with a suspended licence during the Kangaroos' Christmas break.
The 22-year-old has since faced fresh allegations of mistreating women and last week stepped away from the club indefinitely.
Ziebell has handed the captaincy to Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald this year after six seasons in the role but saw it as his duty as a senior player to touch base with Thomas.
"I check in on all our players and that will continue, whatever they're going through," Ziebell said.
"He's going OK. It's been a tough time but there's probably not too much I can comment on in this situation ... because the AFL integrity unit are doing their research and we don't have too many facts."
Ziebell had never met Clarkson before the four-times Hawthorn premiership coach and former North Melbourne player returned to Arden Street late last year in his coaching comeback.
The 31-year-old said Clarkson is already having a positive impact on the entire club.
"The way he treats people, the way he builds relationships with not just players but everyone ... has really reshaped our footy club," Ziebell said.
Ziebell said it was a "perfect time" to pass on the Kangaroos captaincy with a new coach coming on board, highlighting a fresh sense of optimism and stability following a horror period that included David Noble being sacked as coach last July.
Australian Associated Press
