News Clarkson news, media etc - he’s off into the Sunset!

[Strapping Young Lad]

Full Presser at the link below.

 

[MrPremiership]

Sam was absolutely correct in his statement that whenever we win the media will fall over themselves to declare that the succession plan is a mistake, and when we lose they will fall over themselves to declare that the succession plan is a impacting the team and is a mistake.

The media have the angle they are working. It won’t change regardless of the match day outputs and outcomes.

Take it all with a grain of salt.

This comment was so spot on. The next 18 months will be full of it.

 

[Flukey!]

I'm really comfortable our club is in good hands.

 

[cs61]

The media were clearly blind-sighted they didn't see the appointment coming. Ironically I haven't seen this much hysteria since Clarkson packed Mitchell's bags off to get external experience in West Coast during trade period, which was also a total surprise to the Media (maybe they don't have a clue what is happening most times?). The media all wanted to be the ones to cause Clarkson's exit, Barrett was trying to build up pressure last year with almost weekly mentions of Clarko being 'out of his depth' etc. (Mike Sheehan suggested around 2013 that Clarko had already worn out his welcome!). Caro and Barrett etc hate him/us, and no doubt thought they'd be the one driving the dagger in when he finally was to leave.

So I see this response of theirs as petulance, and trying to milk the story they missed out on in retrospect and making out about rifts, and drama and 'succession strategies', mediation, knives in the back etc....

However... the reality is, we have the best rookie coach in the country signed up, that people who have worked under him at West Coast say he was the best assistant they have seen and was enormous in them winning a premiership. We signed him up before Collingwood could poach him which is a win, and now are in a situation of having possibly the greatest coach of all time mentoring him into the role for another 18 months, while he also gains experience coaching his own side; being involved in planning; so he'll be as ready as anyone can be when he finally starts, and we have the best candidate to take over from Clarko as we can get.

Yet the media is trying to sell this as a crisis?

Get a kick Caro.

 

[Flukey!]

For those that missed the interview..

“That has not happened”: Sam Mitchell categorically denies rift reports

Sam Mitchell has spoken in-depth about the Hawthorn succession plan, reports of a rift and more.

www.sen.com.au

 

[Topiary]

Tops, if your take on the Club deciding not to offer Clarko another contract is sacking..... so be it.

Nobody disagrees that Clarko is a master coach and has brought us 4 gleaming silver cups (and a lifetime of joy).

Nevertheless, the game plan was stale and the Club decided that after Clarko's contract finished, they would offer the job to Sam.

Sacking, not extending.... it's happened.

Yep, it certainly has. So Sam be bold with the List renovation and be aggressive.

 

[deanc]

Very good interview from Mitchell. Unfortunately the beat up stories will continue anyway because the media seem to be hell bent on this transition failing.

Well, the media may continue with their related nonsense - but I've just been informed by an unreliable source that it will need do so without the help of one of our assistant coaches who allegedly was/is our 'media leaker' and will gone by the end of the week!
Now, this intel may be as accurate as one of Caro's fairytales, but don't be surprised if the club announce soon that a member of our coaching staff has left the club due to 'personal reasons'...

 

[Linda CRS]

Linda, I respect your position and your info on this matter has been sound.

But something is amiss and I’d love your take on it.

if we take Sam on his word, he isn’t pushing for Clarkson to be outed.

Separately, Clarkson has said the same things.

I want to trust them both as they seem straight shooters. But if what you’re intimating is correct, one of them is lying and the club has some deeper issues to sort out.

Fair query but I think the point or question has been missed. Remembering that the premise of leading teams is to explore all avenues all the time with openness and total buy in. If you were asked as the future coach should ac not be coach in 2022 and you were would you want him to be around. Answer no. Would have thought that is totally rational. Caro may have missed the context but she didn’t miss the question or topic. In my post I raised doubt over her casting of Mitchell yday and that’s right today, clearly it was never about him wanting AC out.

 

[thehardway]

This comment was so spot on. The next 18 months will be full of it.

And that's my concern. Will this potential media sh#t show over the next 18 months distract the players and the club in general?

 

[MrPremiership]

And that's my concern. Will this potential media sh#t show over the next 18 months distract the players and the club in general?

no

 

[thehardway]

no

I like the decisive answer. But I would still prefer Sam to take over at the end of this season. Just my opinion.

 

[matey]

And that's my concern. Will this potential media sh#t show over the next 18 months distract the players and the club in general?

A good coach will turn this into a positive, bring them all closer ....... us against them mentality.

 

[Stratton24]

Fair query but I think the point or question has been missed. Remembering that the premise of leading teams is to explore all avenues all the time with openness and total buy in. If you were asked as the future coach should ac not be coach in 2022 and you were would you want him to be around. Answer no. Would have thought that is totally rational. Caro may have missed the context but she didn’t miss the question or topic. In my post I raised doubt over her casting of Mitchell yday and that’s right today, clearly it was never about him wanting AC out.

So you are calling Sam a liar? Gerard asked him directly if he said in the meeting he wants to coach next year and for Clarko to walk and Sam said absolutely not.

 

[The hands of stone]

He absolutely shot the lights out in that interview , based on that alone he will be a very good coach.

Think we will see some pretty solid aggressive list changes based on what he said.

 

[Back Pocket Rocket]

Hawthorn's mess, Kennett 'carnage', Clarko's OTHER power issue

Damian Barrett on Jeff Kennett's succession plan rant, Melbourne's cellar-dweller troubles and an injured Dog with a bright future.

www.afl.com.au

Hey Damo Also, pot, kettle, black and all that.

 

[Milkshaker]

Brilliant interview. But the outlier remains how Clarko feels about being sacked...

Clarko said in his interview it was always his intention to sit down at the end of next year and review his life on a number of fronts. That combined with 18 years at the helm resulted in the club and Clarko probably conceding it was time. Lets have look at what he has crammed in.

What he has been through and done in no particular order and off the top of my head (not exhaustive):

Appointment to a club with a proud history.
Young coach under the spotlight
Tells a favourite son to fk off and not interfere with his training session (removing interference from premiership heroes of the past - Brereton)
Trips to Kokoda
Trips to Tasmania running sessions/camps
Assisting with bushfire relief Tas/Vic
Builds a list and wins an unexpected premiership 2008
Loses a big chunk of premiership players (unexpected rebuild)
Misses finals after flag (pressure)
Works with Jeff
Scrutiny of his temper (plastergate and Port ferals outside hotels, junior games rant, journalists who are just campaigners at airports)
Guillain Barre Syndrome
Roughy gets cancer
Cryil leaves early
Close mate and assistant coach Ratten loses his son
Buddy highs and lows and Buddy departure
Wins a 3 peat
Works with Jeff
Face of the club for 18 years
Fractured relationship with the media
AFL interference in club recruiting drives
Dealing with the AFL in general while maintaining independence and not suckling at the teat
International trips to further his coaching brief.
Managing the departure of club favourites (Lewis/Mitchell/Hodge)
Player management issues (Patton, Garlett, Vickery, Lake etc)
Juggling of family and friends in a high profile highly demanding occupation
COVID 19, hub life etc
Experiencing the highs and lows of winning an losing
Coaching scrutiny (current)


Some of these things were seasonal considerations. Not on and offs. If he was coming across as a bit spent maybe people noticed. I would have been done and dusted early, but I am not special like him.

Sam appears cut from the same cloth. Stoked.

 

[Lickmesocks]

Gerard is one of the few reporters that doesn't sensationalize everything. Probably explains why he is the most credible and liked reporter.

Hmmm. Have you been listening to Gerard lately buying into the whole mess and suggesting it will fail? He has run through it on his radio show and then doubled down with Robbo on his Tv Show .

Gerard is a politician. He knows when to hold them and when to fold them. He plays his role very well and will change with the breeze depending on what the general feeling is.

 

[Kil Phearns]

Media have had Clarko all wrong from the very beginning, why would that change now?

Bunch of drongos and dribblers - and that's as kindly as I can put it.

 

[OnTheRocks]

Fair query but I think the point or question has been missed. Remembering that the premise of leading teams is to explore all avenues all the time with openness and total buy in. If you were asked as the future coach should ac not be coach in 2022 and you were would you want him to be around. Answer no. Would have thought that is totally rational. Caro may have missed the context but she didn’t miss the question or topic. In my post I raised doubt over her casting of Mitchell yday and that’s right today, clearly it was never about him wanting AC out.

Has this scenario been asked of Sam? If so, privately or formally?

 

[Flukey!]

Hmmm. Have you been listening to Gerard lately buying into the whole mess and suggesting it will fail? He has run through it on his radio show and then doubled down with Robbo on his Tv Show .

Gerard is a politician. He knows when to hold them and when to fold them. He plays his role very well and will change with the breeze depending on what the general feeling is.

Too true.
At least all he did today was ask Sam really straight questions and let him talk.

 

[Philhawk]

Fair query but I think the point or question has been missed. Remembering that the premise of leading teams is to explore all avenues all the time with openness and total buy in. If you were asked as the future coach should ac not be coach in 2022 and you were would you want him to be around. Answer no. Would have thought that is totally rational. Caro may have missed the context but she didn’t miss the question or topic. In my post I raised doubt over her casting of Mitchell yday and that’s right today, clearly it was never about him wanting AC out.

Love that take, thank you.

I will say the other thing I loved about the interview today was how much it seemed like Sam loved being challenged.

 

[Tassie Cryptik]

Everybody here seems to be happy we have sacked AC, so let’s move on.

Not extending a contract isn't getting sacked.

 

[goldfinger]

Feel much better after listening to that.

Hawthorn's mess, Kennett 'carnage', Clarko's OTHER power issue

Damian Barrett on Jeff Kennett's succession plan rant, Melbourne's cellar-dweller troubles and an injured Dog with a bright future.

www.afl.com.au

Hey Damo Also, pot, kettle, black and all that.

Must.... not.... click....and...validate....Damo's.... pitiful... dickless....existence..... arrrghhhhh!!!!

 

[OnTheRocks]

I like the decisive answer. But I would still prefer Sam to take over at the end of this season. Just my opinion.

No

 

[WWSD]

Hawthorn's mess, Kennett 'carnage', Clarko's OTHER power issue

Damian Barrett on Jeff Kennett's succession plan rant, Melbourne's cellar-dweller troubles and an injured Dog with a bright future.

www.afl.com.au

Hey Damo Also, pot, kettle, black and all that.

Barrett can EAD

 

[Bedi]

Clarko said in his interview it was always his intention to sit down at the end of next year and review his life on a number of fronts. That combined with 18 years at the helm resulted in the club and Clarko probably conceding it was time. Lets have look at what he has crammed in.

See, this is the bit I'm still really unsure about. If he was the one who initiated talks with the board to fast track a decision, that suggests to me he wanted another coaching contract. So until we can be sure about that, i can't really form an opinion on all this. But basically if Clarko was pushed, I'm absolutely gutted and against the decision. On the other hand if he was happy to leave, I'm entirely comfortable with that too – so long as it was his decision. In which case I couldn't think of any better replacement than Sam Mitchell.