- Aug 13, 2014
- 2,410
- 8,213
- AFL Club
- Hawthorn
- Other Teams
- r inferior
- Banned
- #1
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.
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.