Coach Alastair Clarkson - NMFC Senior Coach - Coaching & Football Discussion II

[North1411]

They mentioned on commentary that we wanted Caleb Daniel as a spare behind the ball, which allowed Melbourne to play with a loose third tall.

If that's the case in round one, then I doubt Clarko makes it to the bye.

For the first time in his career, Clarko is coaching to save his job, and the early results look worrying. Yeah it's just a preseason game, but at the very least it should have supporters re-evaluating their optimism for this season. As it's essentially the same squad, coaches, and supporting staff as last year, I'll be pleasantly surprised if the end result is any different.

I won't be surprised if things immediately turn when Barlow and Lil Jon take over mid-year. I just hope Sonja Hood doesn't take too long to pull the trigger on Clarkson.

Clarcko is not being sacked this year, we cant afford to pay him out

 

[Topparoo]

Clarcko is not being sacked this year, we cant afford to pay him out

We can’t afford the status quo either

 

[Tas]

When is Teflon going to take some responsibility for the way we play?

 

[Heaps of fun]

When is Teflon going to take some responsibility for the way we play?

Isn't he on Instagram these days?

 

[Samsquanch]

If they did that, it would be Finn O'Sullivan and CCJ vs 22 Pies players in Ballarat next week.

CCJ must be a typo.

 

[FlyHigh18]

CCJ has a way of achieving the impossible, a negative disposal efficiency

 

[shintemaster]

They mentioned on commentary that we wanted Caleb Daniel as a spare behind the ball, which allowed Melbourne to play with a loose third tall.

If that's the case in round one, then I doubt Clarko makes it to the bye.

For the first time in his career, Clarko is coaching to save his job, and the early results look worrying. Yeah it's just a preseason game, but at the very least it should have supporters re-evaluating their optimism for this season. As it's essentially the same squad, coaches, and supporting staff as last year, I'll be pleasantly surprised if the end result is any different.

I won't be surprised if things immediately turn when Barlow and Lil Jon take over mid-year. I just hope Sonja Hood doesn't take too long to pull the trigger on Clarkson.

We never make these moves early. I'm firmly of the belief once the decision is obvious you simply have to move on - if that is 5 weeks into the season, so be it. (not saying that's where we are BTW off of zero AFL games this year). I just don't rate the eke out a nothing extra 10 games before doing a caretaker setup. If we are 6 games in and done I'd be putting Barlow in the next Monday and giving him most of a season to show what he has.

 

[King Corey]

Hard not to move to sunk cost mentality based on both selection and performance yesterday.

If that was foxing it's the greatest performance since No-vac Djokovic announced himself clinically dead during a game then 'magically' revived himself to win it.

 

[North1411]

We can’t afford the status quo either

The board is not paying out over 1 million for him not to coach. It would have to be a negotiated settlement

 

[zoomba23]

Hard not to move to sunk cost mentality based on both selection and performance yesterday.

If that was foxing it's the greatest performance since No-vac Djokovic announced himself clinically dead during a game then 'magically' revived himself to win it.

You'll have to be more specific here

 

[King Corey]

I fear the things he and the selectors seem to value are not consistent with what actually achieves success in 2026.

Hope I'm wrong but we feel like a shit ineffective version of Richmond in the late 90s into the 00s.

Each year they'd get excited like they were a chance and each year everyone would swat them away like flies.

We're them but a version that troubles most opposition for 2-3 minutes each week.

 

[Spud11]

The board is not paying out over 1 million for him not to coach. It would have to be a negotiated settlement

It would be a $1 million investment in the future. An investment in not further damaging the psyche of these high draft selections we’ve stockpiled.

At this stage, I would pay Clarkson not to coach. He is terrible. I just want him gone.

 

[JUST NORTH]

The board is not paying out over 1 million for him not to coach. It would have to be a negotiated settlement

the board is where the trouble began,useless for many years.

 

[RooDave]

The issues run far deeper than just the senior coach or the coaching panel as a whole. We've had multiple different senior coaches and line coaches over the last 7 years. It's a mix of the recruiting, the development and the entrenched fractured mentality and culture of the playing group itself that we keep adding pieces (i.e players) to.

I dont disagree at all however fundamentally this is the exact reason Clarko was brought in. Not to win us a flag but to steer the ship back in the right direction. It was the absolute bare minimum requirement of him coming on board. The board's expectation was never premiers in 3 years. It was being a competitive respected team.

Based off 3 years and a 2026 practice game, id say the ship is continuing in the wrong direction and Clarko just doesnt have it in him anymore.

 

[ToxicMegaPunts]

When the season has officially gone **** up, quite possibly by round 6 when the W/L is 1-5, I would embark on a crazy experiment. I would put the entire coaching staff on gardening leave for the remainder of the season, and play out the remaining games with no coaches or coaching of any kind. Entirely up to the playing group as to how they organise themselves to train and play. Use this as a performace baseline to answer the question "What positive impact, if any, does the coaching staff have on player performance at Norf".

 

[Rod Stroker]

I also think part of the problem is that we have arguably the most uninspiring group of assistant coaches.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I've posted this before but I keep coming back to it; this bloke we hired 4 years ago, is not the same bloke we have coaching our team now.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I've posted this before but I keep coming back to it; this bloke we hired 4 years ago, is not the same bloke we have coaching our team now.

We’re searching for players who can play in a premiership.

We’re also going to install those players into the most defunct set up in order to achieve that.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

It’s pretty clear he’s in the Pagan/Malthouse category. The set up offensively is diabolical only to be bettered by an even worse defensive set up. The ultimate combination of shitness.

We need someone similar to Kingsley who values modern football traits.

I’d love to see what he’d do with this list.

One thing I forgot from this, is that he’s four years deep now.

And there isn’t a single identifiable gamestyle you could say has been instituted.

Every time this side steps on the park, it appears as if they have never played together before, and in some cases, never played the sport before.

Thats coaching.

And its shitful.

 

[Trent from barwon Heads]

Ive watched a bit of footage of clarko and how he interacts with the players, i dont think theres a strong bond, and I think he struggles to relate to 18-24 year olds now.

Ratten when he was caretaker had a better relationship with players, hes results went backwards when clarko came back to the club.

Id rip off the bandaid now, like tou did in 93, give it to crocker or Barlow. Id personally go Barlow as coach, he got werribee to play great footy as their coach and hes younger, looks like he could be a 10 year coach. The problem is viney and monkey both go too then. North need to be ruthless and not waste another year. It will impact on the ceiling of sheezal, powell, wardlaw, duursma, ldu.

Im not sure you can play daniel, for all the crap poor sheezal copped for sheezyball, daniel is the king of playing sheezyball, he cant defend and stat pads. Logue, corr and ccj can only play if injuries take over.

Id love to see a competitive north, push finals, you have an exciting list

 

[Chip Scab1]

My apologies, I took your regularly criticism of the team's lack of direction, team selection and recruiting as directed at the person most responsible for those decisions. But, I guess it is all Jy's fault.

I can see how that would play out in your head. Totally fair.

I'm just more interested in Round 1, should we be embarrassed in front of our people the decision to move on will be made there and hopefully then.

Ive watched a bit of footage of clarko and how he interacts with the players, i dont think theres a strong bond, and I think he struggles to relate to 18-24 year olds now.

Ratten when he was caretaker had a better relationship with players, hes results went backwards when clarko came back to the club.

Id rip off the bandaid now, like tou did in 93, give it to crocker or Barlow. Id personally go Barlow as coach, he got werribee to play great footy as their coach and hes younger, looks like he could be a 10 year coach. The problem is viney and monkey both go too then. North need to be ruthless and not waste another year. It will impact on the ceiling of sheezal, powell, wardlaw, duursma, ldu.

Im not sure you can play daniel, for all the crap poor sheezal copped for sheezyball, daniel is the king of playing sheezyball, he cant defend and stat pads. Logue, corr and ccj can only play if injuries take over.

Id love to see a competitive north, push finals, you have an exciting list

agree with everything except Monkey. He's not an assistant Coach, and is frankly the only decent development coach we have. Our Ruck Dept have keys to the 'city' IMO. They are literally the only department that consistently develops stars.

McKernan, Goldstein, Xerri and Goad (next). They are a shining light amongst true darkness.

 

[SunnyBoner]

Ive watched a bit of footage of clarko and how he interacts with the players, i dont think theres a strong bond, and I think he struggles to relate to 18-24 year olds now.

Ratten when he was caretaker had a better relationship with players, hes results went backwards when clarko came back to the club.

Id rip off the bandaid now, like tou did in 93, give it to crocker or Barlow. Id personally go Barlow as coach, he got werribee to play great footy as their coach and hes younger, looks like he could be a 10 year coach. The problem is viney and monkey both go too then. North need to be ruthless and not waste another year. It will impact on the ceiling of sheezal, powell, wardlaw, duursma, ldu.

Im not sure you can play daniel, for all the crap poor sheezal copped for sheezyball, daniel is the king of playing sheezyball, he cant defend and stat pads. Logue, corr and ccj can only play if injuries take over.

Id love to see a competitive north, push finals, you have an exciting list

A number of players including Larkey and UDL have talked about how Clarko has had a stabilising impact on the players and the club. Not sure how you can pick anything different from a few short videos or photos. He also has a son in that age range. Blame his tactics and strategy for sure but the relationship piece is hard to pull apart unless we hear a specific story from player(s).

 

[tales129]

I also think part of the problem is that we have arguably the most uninspiring group of assistant coaches.

What we have is a glorified cheer squad member as a president.

Stars in her eyes signing a messiah that is past his use by date.

How do we simultaneously have pre game messaging that we are not taking it seriously, but only play 24 blokes when you can play 28.

Wardlaw managed for a hammy yet playing and in the twos. Trembath seemingly managed yet bobs up in the twos. Blokes supposedly trialing different positions
3 weeks out from round 1.

These are all questions that our happy clapping president should be asking but will continue with the status quo of smiling and saying how well we are doing

 

[rickety]

Spitballing .... if Clarkson does see out his 5 years, or at least journeys into his fifth, would he be keen to carry on, or is the course for him/the club, to position a suitable new coach for the future? Viney would upstump as well I'd imagine. And if nothing has changed, then that's a lot of time, effort and money for the proverbial 4 fifths. As well as a few bang average careers.

 

[Dinkers]

Hey cooker- clarkos, you best sort this shit out real quick.
Only thing in your favour was the side selected was horrid.

Easy to not pick those lunts next week.