Ball magnet Harry Sheezel has made North Melbourne history as the Kangaroos' search for a new senior coach narrows.
The 21-year-old midfielder secured his third club best and fairest on Wednesday night after averaging a career-high 30.4 disposals and booting 12 goals in 2026.
Sheezel claimed the Syd Barker Medal with 222 votes, edging out former winners Luke Davies-Uniacke (220) and Jy Simpkin (203).
With the win, the Kangaroos young gun surpassed Wayne Carey as the youngest three-time winner of the award.
The dual-premiership captain was four years older than Sheezel when he won his third Syd Barker Medal in 1996.
Sheezel finished equal fifth in the Brownlow Medal count but the Roos vice-captain was controversially left out of the 46-player All-Australian squad.
Without a finals berth since 2016, North started the season 8-7 but managed only one more win to slump to 14th.
Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, burdened with a record of just 20 wins from 82 games at North, was sacked in early September with a year left on his contract.
Football boss Todd Viney said there were "gaping holes" in the team's game plan, while president Sonja Hood stated the next coach needed to be one that could "coach the modern game".
Clarkson accused North of dancing on his grave, but captain Nick Larkey backed the decision of the club's "bold, strong, courageous" leaders on Wednesday night.
The 28-year-old pointed out he had played under eight different coaches at North but insisted this coaching change felt "completely different" to past instances.
"Rest assured, the club will pick the best candidate available in Australia for this coaching role," Larkey said while directly addressing the playing group.
"But unless we continue to strive to new heights as new players, unless we push the limits of what we're capable of as a group, unless we drive a world-class culture, unless we take ownership of our own journey, the change of coach will mean absolutely nothing."
Viney flagged the club would announce its new senior coach in the coming weeks.
Collingwood great turned Geelong assistant Nathan Buckley is participating as a candidate in the selection process, which is led by a six-person panel that includes Viney and North chief executive Jennifer Watt.
Other assistant coaches Jaymie Graham (Fremantle), Daniel Giansiracusa (Hawthorn) and David Hale (Hawthorn) are also still reportedly in the frame.
Premiership coaches Adam Simpson and John Longmire did not pursue the role, with the latter leaving Sydney to become Essendon's general manager of performance under new Bombers coach Mark McVeigh.
In another piece of AFL club best and fairest history, Western Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli scored a record-equalling seventh Charles Sutton Medal.
2026 SYD BARKER MEDAL TOP 10: Harry Sheezel (222), Luke Davies-Uniacke (220), Jy Simpkin (203), Luke Parker (202), Caleb Daniel (199), Tristan Xerri (171), Paul Curtis (165), Finn O’Sullivan (156), Colby McKercher (147), Charlie Comben (146)
