Can Alistair Clarkson lead North to a premiership? Or has footy gone past him?

[The Warlord]

Any immediate improvement will come from the senior players and recruits. IMO Clarkson can and should build the strongest relationships with these players first.

Sustained improvement and eventual success will come with the player development of the likes of LDU, Simpkin, Thomas, Stephenson, Powell, Phillips, McKay, Lazarro, Scott, Goater, Archer, Curtis, Sheezel, Wardlaw etc…

These three would have All Australian squad as their goal for next year. Obviously its unlikely to happen for and let alone all, maybe LDU or Simpkin with more recognition as captain.

But the development is further along than many think, we've just had an appalling run with coaches.

 

[10571z]

The argument about 'talented lists' is usually applied to every Premiership coach.

A comically dumb argument.

To an extent.

Clarksons recruitment team found some once in a generation players via the draft. Sure Clarksons and Hawks development helped but a Luke Hodge, Roughhead, Buddy etc don't appear in every draft.

There are so many moving parts to a flag. Plenty comes from nailing a draft, trading etc. Can North get that part right?

 

[freddy mercury]

May have a good coach but he can only work with what he's got.


On that list I cannot see a player that resembles any leader or champion he had while coaching hawthorn.

In a few years potentially finish around 8, but that's it at this stage

 

[Wayne Campbell]

May have a good coach but he can only work with what he's got.


On that list I cannot see a player that resembles any leader or champion he had while coaching hawthorn.

In a few years potentially finish around 8, but that's it at this stage

Easy call in hindsight. Would you have said the same about the Hawks when Clarko took over? None of Franklin, Roughead or Lewis had played a game. Hodge and Mitchell had each been on the list three years and both averaged around 15 games a year at 15 touches per game. Neither were any more than promising players at that stage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[the big lebowski]

Easy call in hindsight. Would you have said that about the Hawks though when Clarko took over? None of Franklin, Roughead or Lewis had played a game. Hodge and Mitchell had each been on the list three years and both averaged around 15 games a year and about 15 touches per game so neither were any more than promising players at that stage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Everything is easy in hindsight. I vividly remember driving home from uni in 2004, listening to SEN and a hawthorn supporter called in to talk to dermie about how they should have picked up David hale over hodge.

 

[Wayne Campbell]

Everything is easy in hindsight. I vividly remember driving home from uni in 2004, listening to SEN and a hawthorn supporter called in to talk to dermie about how they should have picked up David hale over hodge.

Was it Clarko?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[the big lebowski]

Was it Clarko?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don’t believe it was

 

[The Warlord]

May have a good coach but he can only work with what he's got.

A whole bunch of recent top 15 draft picks with two more first rounders to come at the end of this season.

 

[Catsace]

Everything is easy in hindsight. I vividly remember driving home from uni in 2004, listening to SEN and a hawthorn supporter called in to talk to dermie about how they should have picked up David hale over hodge.

And lo and behold, less than 10 years later they play together in a three-peat.

 

[peetoo]

To an extent.

Clarksons recruitment team found some once in a generation players via the draft. Sure Clarksons and Hawks development helped but a Luke Hodge, Roughhead, Buddy etc don't appear in every draft.

There are so many moving parts to a flag. Plenty comes from nailing a draft, trading etc. Can North get that part right?

They nailed the 2004, but you wouldn’t have known that from talkback at the time.

But if you averaged out over three drafts 04-06 with several top 10 picks it was less remarkable. The subseqient drafts missing some top players

 

[amaz199]

Well you can have a premiership quality team but it still takes a good coach to get premiership quality performances at the right time.

We've seen it with *Essendon in 1999. They were better than us that year but choked in the Prelim. Flags can go to teams that perhaps weren't the outright most talented or best team that year, but played like a premiership team when it mattered. Not just off talent alone.

Some good coaching, a bit of injury luck, some good direction with the list management and recruiting can give you a pretty good chance to win some finals. To win a premiership? That takes a huge effort from the coach and coaching panel, and some uplifting desperation from the playing group to win every ball and have that delirious premiership quarter that seals it. It just takes every bit of your energy to even make it to the big dance let alone win it.

If Clarkson can't do it with us, there are more underlying issues with our footy department or our players are simply not good enough. I guess we will find out. The one thing I would hope to avoid is being stuck at mid-table when we do get to that point. I'd like us to surpass that pretty quickly and not have to experience mid-table finishes for another 20 years.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

On the back of what we know brought him undone at Hawthorn(no one to control or push back on him as he got involved in multiple depts), this is an interesting watch.

Viney has a big job.

 

[Breretonisahood]

Given his current petulant attitude Clarko might not be at North long enough to lead them to a flag. Looks like he’s a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

 

[FlyHigh18]

Given his current petulant attitude Clarko might not be at North long enough to lead them to a flag. Looks like he’s a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

you should come watch our open training sessions all year and player interviews. He's forcing all the club officials and players to smile and laugh, can't find a sad soul in sight, it's like a North Korean parade, really shocking. Heard he even forced four of them to extend their contracts.
Horrific stuff... "ready to explode"

FMD you guys are funny

 

[fnerd]

Will eventually go the way of sheedy , malthouse etc ,his ego like theirs won’t know when to quit

 

[The Nostradamus]

I like what I see

 

[the big lebowski]

It must be crazy being coaches by clarko. Yelling, massages, made to draw an oval only to have it immediately rubbed out

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

Kangaroos grilled over 'frankly pathetic' Alastair Clarkson backflip
By Chris De Silva - 2 days ago

Caroline Wilson has revealed that several stakeholders around the AFL aren't happy with Alastair Clarkson's comments after a blow-up with a journalist
Veteran reporter Caroline Wilson has revealed there are fears around the AFL surrounding the pressure Alastair Clarkson is under, with questions raised over his level of power at North Melbourne.

The four-time premiership winner apologised to the 9News reporter involved in the confrontation, but followed it with a bizarre interview with Channel Seven in which he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't repeat the attack.

Wilson, who has been a vocal critic of Clarkson's behaviour, revealed that Nine had lodged an "official complaint" to North Melbourne after his interview with Seven.

"It's just extraordinary that this is still bubbling away," she told Nine's Footy Classified.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 04: Kangaroos head coach Alastair Clarkson looks on during the AFL Practice Match between the Western Bulldogs and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Ikon Park on March 04, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )
Alastair Clarkson's start to life at North Melbourne has been rocky to say the least (Daniel Pockett via Getty Images)
"Alastair's apology was weird to say the least from what we can glean. There was an apology, but it was a very strange meeting here at Channel Nine.

"Why apologise if you're going to come out and say that a few days later? It was frankly pathetic and Channel Nine thought so, I gather, and have lodged an official complaint with the Kangaroos.

"Another meeting has taken place not involving Alastair Clarkson, but still we have nothing official from the Kangaroos. So I ask you: who is in control here?

"There are people in football who are very concerned, Alastair Clarkson, about the pressure he's under, about the resentment, bitterness and anger he feels ... and the frustration ongoing because he can't speak. But nothing excuses that tripe. What was 'unjust' and 'untoward' about a reporter doing her job?"

Wilson added that Clarkson's behaviour had angered several stakeholders around the league.

 

[Toump Ass]

CRAZY CLARKO, going off his nut, like a rabid dog from a 1980's b-grade horror movie, attacking anything.
Wants to kill babies, wants to eat journalists.
I saw him on Arden street crawling on his hands and knees like a wounded animal, growling obscenities, reciting bible passages, begging for change.
Off the hook. North can't control him; he's out of of control!
AFL is unsafe with him coaching.

Carn North!!!!

 

[WillHayward]

Still some underlying list issues.
The backline looks very threadbare without McKay in it.
He's OOC and they are going to have to pay him a fortune .
Then you've got Willi Phillips who can't even get a game .
So plenty of concerns starting the season.
Also what to do with Goldstein?

Let's just say Clarko certainly has some challenges ahead.

 

[Mayes2Gray]

He’s well and truly with the game still. But he’s not a miracle maker and North will be a challenge even for him

 

[speedpeck23]

Well done Clarko. A massive effort under duress. Its only the Eagles but a win is a win.

 

[Engimal v3]

I dunno, you tell me

 

[Theicon]

Imagine writing off arguably the GOAT coach because he didn't win premierships after 2015. Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

47

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

was given 10 years to get another flag, but Clarko was suppose to get another one for the Hawks by 2021?
Time will tell, but if I prefer not to bet against champions

 

[Freomaniac]

Not sure how much Pagan could do with Carlton being stripped of all those draft picks. They could have had Jesus coach them and the results would be the same.

You actually have a good point. But Carlton shot themselves in the foot after the 1995 flag. As I wrote in Another thread, Carltons drafting in 1996-2001 was similar to Your mob North Melboune in 2013-16: Not focusing on the 18 or 19 year old kids, it was topping up for another tilt for the flag.

Irony about the draft pick carlton was stripped in 2002 was pick 2 and that pick 2 was Daniel Wells. In another Ironic twist, he kicked the winning goal vs Carlton.

I have also compared Carltons 2002 situation to the crows 2012 situation.

Carlton had an ageing list in 2022. So those 1st and 2nd round picks stripped away from them in 2002-4 hurt them. Also not focusing on youth from 1996-99 hurt too. Had they drafted well from 1996-1999, Carlton would have easily had a batch of 8-12 young guys aged 21-24 to build or trade. Carlton didnt play finals or were never near any finals contention in any year from 2002-8.

Crows in 2012 at least were better age wise. Yeah the crows had their 1st and 2nd rounders stripped in 2012 and 2013. but good recruiting from 2007-2009 helped. Patrick Dangerfield, Taylor Walker, Phil Davis, Rory Sloane, Daniel Talia and Jack Gunston were in a crows shirt. some were traded and crows got some good compo for losing them.

Crows narrowly missed out on finals in 2013-4. but had a finals run from 2015-7.