Surely an Al Clarkson congratulatory thread is in order.

Who is the greatest AFL coach of the past 10 years?


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    136

B0SK

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To my shame I wrote this bloke off in 2009 and 2010. It really did look to me as if he was out of ideas and struggling to adapt after the zone had been dismantled.

Well history has proven I've rarely been more wrong about anyone. Not only did he re-invent the gameplan around precision kicking and player versatility but he's also since developed young talent like Suckling, Shiels, Langford, Smith and Hill, guys who are essential to our new system.
He's also overseen the strengthening of the teams fitness, both mental and physical, from a side which lost a huge amount of close games in the early years after 2008 to one which is as formidable as any.

Of course we already know, but its worth mentioning again that he took a side horribly reliant on the greatest player of his generation to one which actually performed better without him. The word masterstroke gets bandied around too often in football, but I think we've finally found a worthy home for it.

On behalf of Hawthorn supporters everywhere I just wanted to say Thankyou Al Clarkson (and all your assistants) for doing such a remarkable job. As far as I'm concerned the job's yours for life mate.
 
To my shame I wrote this bloke off in 2009 and 2010. It really did look to me as if he was out of ideas and struggling to adapt after the zone had been dismantled.

Well history has proven I've rarely been more wrong about anyone. Not only did he re-invent the gameplan around precision kicking and player versatility but he's also since developed young talent like Suckling, Shiels, Langford, Smith and Hill, guys who are essential to our new system.
He's also overseen the strengthening of the teams fitness, both mental and physical, from a side which lost a huge amount of close games in the early years after 2008 to one which is as formidable as any.

Of course we already know, but its worth mentioning again that he took a side horribly reliant on the greatest player of his generation to one which actually performed better without him. The word masterstroke gets bandied around too often in football, but I think we've finally found a worthy home for it.

On behalf of Hawthorn supporters everywhere I just wanted to say Thankyou Al Clarkson (and all your assistants) for doing such a remarkable job. As far as I'm concerned the job's yours for life mate.
Great thread. Post quoted as it needs to be re-enforced.

I'm now excited to see what he brings to the table next. Hopefully he gets at least one more to put him on a pegging with Sheedy as the most successful coach of the modern era. Add to his coaching the work that he does off the field and I think he will receive a legend status some time down the track.
 

Gene Simmons

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Aug 29, 2007
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He is a master.. 3 flags/4 Grand Finals in 10 seasons..

Keeping in mind that he took on a bottom 2 side in 2005 who had only participated in finals three times in the previous 10 years (1996, 2000 & 2001).

He has won 3 flags, and each he has re-invented our game plan - he is a leader of the pack and all the other coaches follow.

He is now equal with Allan Jeans & John Kennedy with 3 flags.

And he has already equaled coaching great Mick Malthouse with 3 flags. And Mick has been coaching since 1987 - 18 years ahead of Clarko!
 

hardon

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Aug 14, 2010
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i've come here to eat s**t publically for the second time after doing it firstly on the main board. i wanted him gone a few years ago as i felt we were underachieving given the cattle we had. and i still believe we were at the time, but i didn't see the improvement/change coming in the last few years. it's made me a happy camper. i actually think if we refine/improve what we've got and don't try to invent a new gameplan then we should be good enough to take all comers again next year. barring the fixture from hell and umpire hate.

alastair clarkson, coaching staff, the recruiters, development staff and everybody else at the club has my full respect.
 

Faraway Hawk

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Dec 10, 2009
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Sometime last week Clarko would have got the team together and highlighted the lack of respect shown to us throughout the media. He would also have highlighted all the media circus around Franklin. We were the defending champions who made the GF despite all the setbacks but for every person who tipped the Hawks there were 5 tipping the Swans. Clarko would have said to the boys " This is your chance to get revenge for 2012, this is your chance to show that the HFC is not about Buddy Franklin, this is your chance to show the Footy World we deserve some bloody respect". Boy oh Boy..how well did the boys respond? That tackle by Breust in the first quarter, that cruncher by Roughy and even Hill tackling Tippett. The Swans didn't know what hit them.

Make no mistake, Clarko is one hell of a coach and will go down in history as our best coach ever by the time he hangs up his boots.
 

Cdreamer

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May 3, 2010
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It is a team effort of assistant coaches, development, recruiting and admin but what we have at our the head of our club running things is one the most innovative, inspirational and strategic coaches ever but I think it his thirst for knowledge that really what sets him apart.
To win 3 premierships in an era when it is harder than ever to do so is a magnificent feat and Clarko will go down as one of the all time greats!
 

ViperV10

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Jun 3, 2003
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THANK YOU, Clarko.

Thank you for progressing our side from being a scrawny, unskilled, mess (when you started) to being such a powerful, dominant and tactically superb side. Amazing turnaround, with just rewards still coming yours and our way.
 
I think a lot of us in 09/10 wondered what had happened to the team and Clarko

Now I hope he coaches the Hawks to many more flags and then retires a one Club coach
 
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