Bye bye Clarkson

[Chadwiko]

I was concerned with the little interview he did pre-game. He presented that a loss was a foregone conclusion. At the end of the day, we are watching entertainment and we want to know that (despite being the shittest club over 4-5 years) that there is some hope. Otherwise why the f*ck should we care (in many instances much more than the professionals getting paid).

Like Ted Lasso, I truly believe 'wins' aren't Clarkson's #1 priority this year, as crazy as that sounds.

I believe he wants to build up our young players fitness, skills, and AFL-physiques so that they have a solid foundation to build upon for the future. It's what he did at Hawthorn and look how that worked out.

Given that, then of course he's not going to be giving them sprays when we're losing games. He'd be setting realistic and attainable KPIs he asks the players to strive for each week, depending on their role. And part of his role as Head Coach is to act as a type of 'father figure' during such a year and protect them from the hordes massing at the gates as the losses pile up.

His approach in the media is bearing this out, imho.

 

[Spud11]

Last I heard he was heading up one of the V8 racing teams.

He’s slightly bitter at his treatment too I think. Was asked last year or the year before, can’t remember where, if he’d be watching North games, to which he replied “I wouldn’t have thought so”.

 

[TheKanga]

It's all getting a bit depressing.
Think I'll take a break from bigfooty leading up to the Hawks game.

 

[Chadwiko]

He’s slightly bitter at his treatment too I think. Was asked last year or the year before, can’t remember where, if he’d be watching North games, to which he replied “I wouldn’t have thought so”.

To a certain extent, I get it.

He told the board when he was hired he thought the team would be bad for three years. He was upfront about it and explained his roadmap for a full rebuild.

He was tapped on the shoulder and asked to resign after 38 games.

He had to go, and it was the correct decision. But still, you can understand to an extent why he'd have a bitter taste in his mouth.

 

[Spud11]

It's all getting a bit depressing.
Think I'll take a break from bigfooty leading up to the Hawks game.

It’s the only thing interesting about footy at the moment. Saying, and seeing said, outlandish things on here because the team we support doesn’t have the same passion we have.
At times my gallows humour has been misinterpreted. What can ya do?

 

[Horizons_00]

Same old same old presser from Al
Stating the obvious & making excuses…. So far this season being outcoached in every game

Why can't he say in his presser

"I am disappointed and what we did today, this is not good enough, I won't accept this" set the standard

Clarko why are you saying "we are pups in comparison to Geelong"

You honestly think that's Gonna develop our youth into hungry beasts? Or hearing that especially while they're young is going to give them a reason why they're not performing. You're responsible for moulding these players and you're going to drum into their minds that everyone is better than us? Being positive for the sake of it is so damaging and I'm sorry that's not a competitive environment. Nice and easy yes but competitive no.

Now our players are like oh well we are young, we don't have experience yet, Clarko kind of said we weren't expected to win.

All you're doing is providing them with a out, how do you expect them to develop a winning mind frame!? Its a sport ffs

I thought we were gonna get tough, competitive Clarko? They should fear or never disrespect him for going out there and dish up that week in out. The players don't have it they don't care for the direction or the path. Deep down they don't believe, and no team actual respects us, we are a joke

Clarko, Send a ****ing message to the players and the fans!!!

 

[king rising]

What I see in the box and in press conferences is a drained main who’s lost his love for the game.

Between the racism scandal, the media hounding his every word and the ineptitude of our players it’s clear he’s struggling.

I don’t blame Clarko, he’s had to cop a lot. I blame the club and the players. Really want him to succeed but it just seems impossible at this club right now.

 

[RossHenshaw]

Why can't he say in his presser

"I am disappointed and what we did today, this is not good enough, I won't accept this" set the standard

Now our players are like oh well we are young, we don't have experience yet, Clarko even said how good the opposition was we weren't expected to win.

All you're doing is providing them with a out, how do you expect them to develop a winning mind frame!? Its a sport ffs

I thought we were gonna get tough, competitive Clarko? They should fear or never disrespect him for going out there and dish up that week in out. The players don't have it they don't care for the direction or the path. Deep down they don't believe

So well said & my exact point for the past few weeks….
We hired old type coach Clarko not this soft cuddly sensitive heck .

 

[RossHenshaw]

Noble and Shaw were both spuds.

Clarko can coach but not covering himself in glory at the moment.

Every week it seems like he is dealing with something outside of footy.

Racism saga, ********** Saga and today he looked visibly shaken by what happened in Sydney.

 

[Nate7]

So well said & my exact point for the past few weeks….
We hired old type coach Clarko not this soft cuddly sensitive * .

Word for word I had that exact conversation with a family member.

So who at the club has pushed the change?

 

[TheKanga]

What I see in the box and in press conferences is a drained main who’s lost his love for the game.

Between the racism scandal, the media hounding his every word and the ineptitude of our players it’s clear he’s struggling.

I don’t blame Clarko, he’s had to cop a lot. I blame the club and the players. Really want him to succeed but it just seems impossible at this club right now.

Do you and others think he will have trouble seeing out his tenure?

That would be a disaster if we have another coach walk away due to mental health etc

 

[Devil Fish]

Clarko's pressers are so mundane.

I get it, he's in charge of possibly the worst list since Fitzroy of the mid '90's, but gee, give us something Al.

 

[Masked Avenger]

Word for word I had that exact conversation with a family member.

So who at the club has pushed the change?

C'mon Nate.

Don't you tumble in.

We could have Clarko on PCP - and it would make no difference.

Your rat power comes from your senior guys and apart from Larkey, you can scream as much as you want at them but it won't make them play any better. Most of them are barely VFL standard.

 

[RossHenshaw]

We are cooked as a footy club …I can see the writing on the wall …
wait till we turn 1/2 thru the season & the big announcement will come..
“Clarko officially stands down”

• never got over the racism saga
• doesn’t have the passion anymore
• needs a break from the game
• etc …

 

[Forever North]

He looks drained and possibly struggling for motivation. Reckon the racism scandal knocked him around a lot. The AFL landscape has changed since he first coached Hawthorn. You could get away with a lot more on and off the field 15-20 years ago. He and the Hawks lived on the edge. Can’t happen nowadays. Too many ****wits after an easy dollar, getting offended/outraged, chasing the cheap headline etc..

 

[TheKanga]

It's pretty Damning that people here are saying he's mentally cooked

 

[RossHenshaw]

Some not all his fault but he did come to our club with a lot baggage . Throw in our list of players & his proud reputation deteriorating by the week… the pressures of the media etc .
of course he’s cooked & has no answers.

 

[Spud11]

It's pretty Damning that people here are saying he's mentally cooked

Why?
The home of the mentally cooked calling someone mentally cooked?
Yeah guess ur right

 

[Elite Master]

He’s slightly bitter at his treatment too I think. Was asked last year or the year before, can’t remember where, if he’d be watching North games, to which he replied “I wouldn’t have thought so”.

It was the worst possible time to ask him that question too given it was asked of him shortly before round 3 last season where we were on a 'roll' at 2-0.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Looks a beaten man.

And his prematch made it sound like we were expecting to be beaten.

 

[Tiberius]

Anyone who watched Clarkson's time at Hawthorn should know that he plays the media game. What he says in a press conference and what he says to the team behind closed doors are most likely totally different things. So judging his mindset based off what he says in a press conference seems a little odd. He knows what he's doing.

 

[ChairmanZia]

More first rounders turn into spuds than stars. This doesn't mean much.

The AFL development pathway is kind of a crapshoot.

Who was the last #1 pick who turned into a genuine top 5 AFL player?

Follow the melbourne model, they wasted pick 1 and 2 in scully trengrove and lost watt, another pick 1 but they still managed to win a flag. We will get a few right eventually because we are that bad.

Many on this forum probably grew up with the middling struggles from 02 to 19. The club huffed and puffed that eventually achieved nothing. At least now, we are building from ground 0 and we have a GOAT coach to properly build a side that will eventually succeed.

 

[Hazey1977]

What I see in the box and in press conferences is a drained main who’s lost his love for the game.

Between the racism scandal, the media hounding his every word and the ineptitude of our players it’s clear he’s struggling.

I don’t blame Clarko, he’s had to cop a lot. I blame the club and the players. Really want him to succeed but it just seems impossible at this club right now.

I had written a post with similar sentiments straight after the pre-game interview but deleted it. I felt, for the first time, genuine concern for Clarko's mental health. In some of his stuff this year, it's like listening to the muddled uncle or old bloke in the corner of your local footy club.

The little jokes and a laugh feel like a coping mechanism. I've used them Myself in times of stress. Not just the last 24hrs with the sad news, but his tenure post racism saga has seen him with a whole lot less mojo.

Everyone evolves and I am not sure killer Clarko is still around. There is a more spiritual, philosophical Clarko going about these days.

The acceptance of losing across the club appears set in stone and it sucks. We're at risk of damaging/losing another whole generation of talent.

Who knows, internally everything might look much different if you're closer to it.

Sent from my SM-G781B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[TheKanga]

I'm all behind Clarko
But just watching the presser
"Glad big hawk didn't play" and laughs
Was a bit of a strange comment when supporters are hurting

 

[ChairmanZia]

Clarkson isn't the mahdi, messiah or saviour. He will not just flick on the magic switch and everything falls in line.

Clarkson will bring a sense of stabiliyt and professionalism.

Clarkson will also implement a blueprint for the type of people we need at the club.

Clarkson's prescence affects not just the playerse about also recruitment, development and management.