Player Watch Coach - Alastair Clarkson

[shell81au]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Congrats to Clarkson and the team on an amazing 2008 season, for the gritt and determination he has brought to the team and the amazing sence of comraderie evident among the players.

**** DELETED **** [jrrelevant to this thread and promoting another web football forum]

Thanks guys and lets make it back to back!

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Rush hour spurs review after AFL grand final

Mark Stevens | September 29, 2008 12:00am
Have your say!

• THE scourge of the rushed behind is likely to be the hot talking point when the AFL Laws of the Game Committee meets tomorrow.

Hawthorn handed Geelong a record-equalling 11 behinds as the Grand Final turned into rush hour.
No team had rushed as many behinds since the Western Bulldogs gifted Essendon 11 in Round 13, 1999.


It was enough to convince Laws of the Game Committee member Luke Darcy that a rule change should be discussed.
"It definitely needs to go on the agenda," Darcy said yesterday.

"We probably need to have some debate on whether there's an appropriate way to get around it."


AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said it was not too late for the issue to be raised.
"There wasn't much support for a change last year. That may have changed," Anderson said.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Trading key to staying up top

Jon Ralph | September 29, 2008 12:00am

• HAWTHORN will trade aggressively in coming weeks as it tries to create an era of domination.

The Hawks' bid to become bulletproof will start at a list-management meeting this morning.
List manager Chris Pelchen will meet coach Alastair Clarkson in preparation for Wednesday's draft camp, as the club prepares to mount a bid for an experienced key defender.


Hawthorn has the salary-cap room, the inclination and the potential trade bait to be a key player in the October 6-10 talks, and is determined to be aggressive in the market.
While the Hawthorn players are determined to stay together, the match committee is likely to be ruthless if borderline players are in demand at rival clubs.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Hawthorn's coach Alastair Clarkson hugs his daughter after the win.


Hawks on top ahead of time

Martin Blake | September 28, 2008

HAWTHORN has launched itself into the top echelon of the AFL with an ahead-of-schedule premiership win over Geelong at the MCG yesterday, but coach Alastair Clarkson believes the Hawks are still not the benchmark of the competition.

Clarkson, who acknowledged that his club had expected to take longer to hoist the cup on grand final day, said he believed Geelong still held the mantle, despite the Cats fluffing their lines on the big stage yesterday, losing by 26 points after surrendering only one previous match in the season.

It was a performance from the defending premier that drew a rebuke from coach Mark Thompson for selfishness.
Hawthorn appears headed for one of its finest eras, but Clarkson was quick to shift the pressure to Geelong, refusing to accept that his team is the new kingpin.

"I suppose the whole competition will look at it that way because they always judge on the premier side, as we have for the last five or six years," he said.

"We've actually tracked Geelong, St Kilda and Port Adelaide really closely as teams that have put their list together in the right type of manner and been very, very well coached, and (two of those teams) … have gone on to salute. So Geelong's one of those sides, ironically. I would still expect Geelong to continue to be a dominant side next year.

"We got the victory today, but it could have easily been a different result. I wouldn't suggest for one minute that that elevates us above Geelong.
"We've still got to chase them a little bit in terms of improving our performance in the years ahead."

Hawthorn's 10th premiership comes in only the fourth year of Clarkson's reign and the corresponding rebuild of its list. Clarkson said the Hawks' analysis of recent premiership teams had suggested it would take "five, six, seven or eight years" to win a flag. Thus Hawthorn's only focus in the pre-season of 2008 was to ensure it did not fall away after reaching — and winning — a final last year.

"So many sides have jumped up to play in a final series, then fallen away the following year," he said.
"That could quite possibly have been the case with such a young group. But such was the resolve with this particular group, their fanaticism to actually improve as people and players, that drove the whole group forward again this year.

"We got ourselves in a position where we won the first nine games of the season and I suppose that was the realisation that, 'Gee, we could finish top-four here and really give it a good nudge' if we could get some momentum going in September."

Thompson was critical of Geelong's inability to score, and made pointed remarks about selfishness. He told his players they had missed a great opportunity. "Like all of us, they really expected to win, and maybe that second quarter (they thought) it didn't matter that we didn't handball off and ran into goals and kicked points because eventually we'd get the team that we were playing," he said. "That's just wrong. To win premierships, you need to do everything right, and Hawthorn was absolutely spectacular today."

Thompson said he did not believe his players had been cocky, but was unhappy with certain players' refusal to dish the ball off, apparently referring to one incident when Brad Ottens declined a handball to Tom Lonergan near goal in the third quarter.

"On the day, we just didn't work well enough together. I think that's been one of the special treats and habits of our players and our team, that we've been a good team," he said.

Hawthorn won without huge contributions from some of its best players, including captain Sam Mitchell and Lance Franklin. It was more of a team effort, although the likes of Luke Hodge, who won the Norm Smith Medal,

Brad Sewell, Xavier Ellis and veteran Shane Crawford were superb.
Mitchell, who was covered by Cameron Ling, said some stern words from the coach at half-time had helped. "He (Clarkson) put a rocket up myself and 'Franko' and I thought our second halves were better, we played a role … and that's been our focus for the whole finals series. We don't need everyone giving best-on-ground performances," Mitchell said.

Crawford, 34, won the flag he has craved for nearly two decades. But he had not made any dramatic decisions last night; he was content to sing the song in the middle of the MCG with his teammates at 7.30pm, long after the crowd had gone.
"
That's up to 'Crawf' and the club to work out in the next three or four weeks, Clarkson said.
"We're in no hurry to make that decision."

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Jacobs hails 'Clarko' the saviour

29/09/2008 12:29 PM
Andrew Wu

Sportal

When Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson paid tribute to retired Hawks such as Joel Smith, Richie Vandenberg and Ben Dixon late last week he left one man out - Danny Jacobs.


But that did not stop the forgotten Jacobs from labelling Clarkson as the 'king' for his role in the club's rise from a 'rabble' in 2004 to the best team in the land four years later.


Jacobs pulled stumps on his career in March this year when it became apparent he was fighting a losing battle against a chronic hip injury.



So quietly has Jacobs faded into the past it's worth reminding Hawks fans that the 28-year-old is still officially on the club's list.


Jacobs was one of the 100,012 people at the MCG to see Hawthorn upset Geelong but, with more luck from the football gods, could easily have been on the other side of the fence.


As a player at Essendon, Jacobs was part of the Bombers' 2000 pre-season success but not part of the 22 in the one that mattered.
However, he managed to establish himself as a regular in Essendon's defence from that point onwards, playing 71 of the next 73 matches including the Bombers' losing 2001 Grand Final.


But salary cap restraints saw him head to Hawthorn by the start of 2004.
Encouraged by the Hawks' promising finish to 2003 when they won their final four games on the trot to finish ninth and the arrivals of seasoned defenders Trent Croad, Simon Beaumont and Jacobs, then coach Peter

Schwab said the club was in premiership contention.


It would prove a grossly inaccurate call as the Hawks finished second last and Schwab did not see out the season.
In hindsight, Jacobs told Sportal, the club was a 'rabble' and Clarkson the unlikely saviour.


"When 'Clarko' came over no one ever thought he would do anything good. But he said you've got to follow my lead, and see what happened," Jacobs said.


"I'm pretty sure if you look back a few years ago he said in 2008 Hawthorn will be up there at least challenging."
"To win and flog the best team in the comp, well second best team in the comp now, it's an unbelievable effort."


If Jacobs harboured any regrets about missing out on the Hawks' success, he did a great job to hide it.


"There's some blokes who get a little selfish and think what could have been but at the same time they're your best mates," he said.
"They deserve what they got and I couldn't be happier."
"I'm just rapt for everyone."

 

[carntheroos4eva]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

What a fantastic year Clarko has had both on and off the field. Those articles that we have been reading proves that he's had an awesome year.
Great stuff guys.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

What a fantastic year Clarko has had both on and off the field. Those articles that we have been reading proves that he's had an awesome year.
Great stuff guys.

To think he started the rebuild 4 years ago & we are premiers now what a fantastic effort well done Clarko we love ya little big man!

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

The ballad of al clarkson
http://www.insidefootballonline.com/burke.html



From the beginning, the Hawthorn premiership coach was orchestrating a grand plan.
LAST week I attended six football related functions. At each I was asked an average 20 times who I thought would win the Grand Final.
Each time I replied “the Cats’.



I know that I did tip the Hawks in this very paper but that was because I was being a smart alec and pointing out that every time the Saints lose a prelim, the victor has gone on to win the flag.
It’s happened the past three times and is somewhat of a comfort. If you are going to lose, you may as well lose to the best.

 

[RustyHawk]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Alistair Clarkson's coaching record 2008 and to date

2008 Season​

Games coached: 25

Games won: 20 = 80% winning percentage!

Lost: 5

Drawn: 0

Finals - played: 3

Finals - won: 3 = 100%


Coaching record to date.

End of his 4th year as Senior coach​

Games Coached: 93

Games won: 48 = 52%

Games lost: 45

Games drawn: 0

Finals: 5

Finals won: 4 = 80%

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson in scuffle with another driver
Quote:
HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has scuffled with another motorist after a near miss yesterday.

The other driver, who did not want to be named, admitted he provoked the premiership coach before claiming he was pushed to the ground during an incident at East Bentleigh.

He said their cars came close to colliding near the corner of South and East Boundary roads.

"I did provoke him a bit. I said, 'you need your wife to put your blouse on for you'," he recalled last night.


Mr Robson said he understood the other driver fell as the men stood holding each other before pushing away at the same time.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...3-2862,00.html

 

[RustyHawk]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Congratulations Alistair Clarkson

- The 2008 Sports Performer Awards, Hawthorn Coach won the Coach Performance of the Year.

The entire 2008 Hawthorn team was nominated in the teams catagory and Lance (Buddy) Franklin was nominated in the individual award.

Beijing Olympics diving gold medallist Matthew Mitcham has upstaged a star-studded field to win the 2008 Sports Performer of the Year award in Melbourne tonight.

The 20-year-old was one of eight elite athletes shortlisted for the award but his heroics in claiming individual gold in the men's 10m platform event at the 2008 Games was deemed the most worthy of recognition.

Pole vaulter Steve Hooker, triathlete Emma Snowsill, swimmer Stephanie Rice and kayaker Ken Wallace were the other Australian individual gold medallists to be shortlisted, while surfer Stephanie Gilmore, ironman Craig Alexander and AFL goalkicking superstar Lance Franklin were also in contention for the top individual award.


In winning the Sports Performer of the Year award, voters have deemed Mitcham's achievement more worthy than Rice's three individual Olympic golds, Hooker clearing an Olympic-record height of 5.90 metres on his final attempt to claim gold, Snowsill's breakthrough win in the Olympic triathlon, Alexander's triumph in the notoriously gruelling Hawaiian Ironman, Gilmore's achievement in stunning the world surfing community by winning the world title in a rookie year, Franklin's 113 goals in an AFL premiership year and kayaker Wallace's gold and bronze medals in Beijing.

Last year's inaugural winner of the Sports Performer of the Year award was cyclist Cadel Evans, who finished second in the Tour de France.

Other award winners tonight include the women's 4x200m freestyle team at the Beijing Olympics (Team Performance of the Year), Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps (International Performer of the Year), Melissa Wu (Young Performer of the Year), Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson (Coach Performance of the Year) and Matt Cowdrey (Sports Performer of the Year With a Disability).

 

[RustyHawk]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Clarkson wins coaching award​

By Luke Holmesby

3:04 PM Fri 28 November, 2008

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson has been lauded as one of the country’s leading sports figures, winning the top coaching award at the Sports Performer Awards.

The awards are voted by the readers of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

The award caps off a memorable year for Clarkson, who took Hawthorn to its first premiership since 1991.

Among those he beat for the honour was NRL coach Des Hasler who also achieved premiership success with the Manly Sea Eagles.

Other notable contenders included Australian netball coach Norma Plummer, Adelaide United Soccer coach Aurelio Vidmar and pole vault coach Alex Parnov, who coached Steve Hooker to a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Clarkson was one of three Hawthorn nominations at the awards night but the only winner.

The Hawks were nominated for the team performance of the year and forward Lance Franklin was nominated for the sports performer of the year.

Clarkson was modest and self-deprecating when accepting his award. “This is the first surprise of the night,” he said.

“There’s some players sitting on table 20 saying: ‘God, strewth, he’s the coach of the year!’”

for hawthornfc.com.au

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Clarko having at ball in the Tiwi Islands....

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson's simple philosophy
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/spo...-19742,00.html

If you weren't the best team in the competition in a given year, any shred of complacency the following season is going to bite you where it hurts.
Clarkson has been exploring Darwin and the Tiwi Islands this week with the club's indigenous players and recent draftees.


But where West Coast famously squandered all its gains after reaching football's pinnacle in 2006, Clarkson is already plotting to ensure his side suffers no premiership hangover.
If his rivals think Hawthorn's main enemy might be itself next year, they have another think coming.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Flag just a fond memory for Hawks


By Jason Phelan 8:25 AM Fri 06 February, 2009

Alastair Clarkson put an end to post-premiership celebrations in November


HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson may well have turned his playing group's focus to winning another flag, but he's finding that everyone else is still quite eager to re-live the last one.

Players and fans alike toasted the club's 2008 triumph long and hard, but Clarkson firmly put a full stop on the post-premiership celebrations when he got his entire playing group together for the first time on November 17 last year.

It's not that he wants to be a killjoy, it's just that AFL football waits for no one.

"You've got to move on pretty quickly in this game," Clarkson says. “That's the great feature of our game”.

"You get to Tuesday post-grand final and you're required to go to Canberra for the draft camp … You're already considering your list and your next group of players three or four days after the last game of the season.

"As much as we wanted to acknowledge the great performance of 2008, we needed to quickly get on to 2009 when so many of the other clubs had already started their planning for the year prior to us finishing.

While his players might have moved on, Hawk fans are keen to linger in the after-premiership glow just a little longer if the turnout at the club's Telstra AFL Community Camp functions across Tasmania is any indication.

But the coach is keeping a firm focus on delivering the supporters even more joy in the coming season.

"Our attitude as a club has got to be that if we don't continue to seek improvement and development within our own group, the rest of the competition will catch up and pass us by very, very quickly.

"It's such a brutal, tough industry that you need to stay at the forefront of change."

Youth is Clarkson's chief ally as he strives to stay ahead of the pack and banish any thoughts of a premiership hangover.

"We've still got such a young group and it's probably about constant improvement right across the board”, he says.

"With the retirement of [Shane Crawford] and the injection of three 17-year-olds in the draft, we've gone from being the fourth-youngest list in the competition to the second youngest.

"Usually premiership sides continue to mature and get older as you keep your list together, but we've made some changes that actually made our list younger.

“So there's an enormous amount of development and growth in that group."

Hawthorn kicks off its premiership defence with a grand final rematch against Geelong at the MCG on March 27.

 

[RustyHawk]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25014433-19742,00.html

New rules, no worries​

Jon Ralph | February 06, 2009 12:00am

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson yesterday endorsed the AFL's crackdown on rushed behinds and has no problems with experimental rules being adopted in the season proper. The Hawks' 11 rushed behinds in the Grand Final against Geelong were one of the main factors in the skyrocketing number of conceded scores in September.

Now a rushed behind will lead to a shot at goal, but Clarkson is unfazed, even if the trial rule becomes permanent.

"We have given it a fair amount of thought over the summer months," he said.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

http://insidefootballonline.com/crackers.html

Clarkson’s premiership premonition on the mark


Confidence is everything in sport. I had lunch with retired Hawk champion Shane Crawford the other day, and our discussion confirmed this belief. Having gone through a few finals campaigns as a player and coach, I was surprised to hear that after Geelong had beaten the Hawks in Round 17,

 

[carn the umpires]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Awesome articles on Clarko, Noose

I am sure he would be really impressed by all the comments on here.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Rookie Hawks rewarded for pre-season


By Luke Holmesby 3:17 PM Fri 20 February, 2009

Hawk coach Alastair Clarkson will give young players every chance in the NAB Cup


HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says rookies Ryan Schoenmakers and Luke Shiels will have a chance to hold down a spot in the senior team after being selected for the side’s NAB Cup opener against Melbourne on Saturday.


The pair, who were the Hawks’ first two choices in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, will make their debuts in the brown and gold against the Demons at Launceston's Aurora Stadium and Clarkson says there is no reason why they could not be playing in the early stages of the home-and-away season.


“I suppose the one thing we’ve been pleased with (concerning) those two lads in particular is they have the bodies that can withstand the rigours of the game,” Clarkson said.


“They’re both young players of course but they’ve both been able to withstand the fair amount of pre-season training we’ve put into our players to date.”
Clarkson said he would use the pre-season campaign to give youngsters and fringe players a chance to put forward their claims for a senior position.


“From a coaching point of view the next generation of Hawks is already starting to come through. We’re pretty excited about what the NAB Cup series will bring to our footy club,” he said.
“We’ve got four games and we see it as a great opportunity to trial some of our young players and trial some of the new rules that have been put in.”


Hawthorn will be missing nine players from the team that won the 2008 Grand Final against Geelong but Clarkson said there were plenty of players who can step in and command a game.


“We’ve got a group of eight to ten players who have been around our footy club for two or three years now who are hungry to take the next step,” he said.


“If we can get those guys to consolidate senior positions in the side then it puts great pressure on the rest of the group to step up as well. That’s where we’re looking for our improvement to come from over the early part of the season.”


Clarkson said while the Hawks would field their best side every week in their premiership defence, it was important to be constantly injecting the team with youth.


“We’ve always been a club that wants to bring through young players. Even in the glory days of Hawthorn sides of the 70s and 80s they brought on the next generation of players really well and we’ll do that as well,” he said.


“We won’t be forcing our hand. If senior players perform well they’ll stay in the side and, similarly, if young guys that have performed well and play well deserve their opportunity in the side then we certainly won’t hold them back from playing senior footy.”

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Dees unlucky, but Clarkson takes win


By Mic Cullen 8:42 PM Sat 21 February, 2009

Stuart Dew had some important touches in the final quarter


HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson was happy to take his team’s win over Melbourne in the NAB Cup game in Launceston on Saturday, but he wasn’t sure it was deserved.

The Hawks trailed by 33 points at the last change, but cranked it up in the last quarter to win by three points after Jarryd Roughead slotted through his fifth with just seconds remaining on the clock.

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Depth the big plus for Clarkson

By Ben Broad 8:58 PM Sun 01 March, 2009

Alastair Clarkson talks tactics during his team's NAB Cup loss to Carlton


HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson praised what he labeled a second-string Hawks outfit for hanging tough against the Blues in their NAB Cup quarter-final loss on Sunday.

The Hawks might not have won the day but Clarkson saw enough from his young charges to leave him satisfied that, should he still be missing some of the keys from last year’s grand final triumph when the season proper rolls around, he has several ready-made players ready to call on.

Carlton beat Hawthorn by 24 points at Telstra Dome but not before Clarkson’s side had led by as much as five goals early in the second term.​

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Miserly St Kilda copies Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/spo...-19742,00.html

• ST KILDA coach Ross Lyon has quietly mastered his own version of "Clarko's Cluster", squeezing the life out of opponents in the pre-season.

The well-drilled Saints have allowed rivals only 31 forward entries on average in their three matches.
St Kilda conceded only 33 entries against the Brisbane Lions at Carrara, 36 against the Western Bulldogs at Visy Park and a miserly 25 against Richmond in Shepparton on Friday night.
Teams average 50 entries during the home-and-away season, underlining the extent of the "big squeeze".




The Saints have conceded only 23 goals in three games.
Disciplined zoning has pressured opponents into mistakes and the Saints have preyed on turnovers.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson had great success with rolling zones or clusters last season.


Lyon is adamant flooding has been consigned to the past, but has clearly been working on the rolling zone.
"People talk about flooding. I don't think flooding exists any more," Lyon said.


__________________

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

http://sportal.com.au/mediaplayer/audio/AFL/clarko-clucky-over-buddy-4854

Clarko Interview after Hawks V Eagles clash!

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Doco reveals Hawks' grand final secret

March 17, 2009

HAWTHORN were out to hunt the shark as well as beat the Cats in last year's AFL grand final.
A football documentary due to screen this Friday includes some of the pre-game address from Hawks' coach Alastair Clarkson before the premiership win.


Hawthorn was courageous as they upset Geelong by 26 points last September, overcoming injuries and making the Cats pay for poor goalkicking.


The Essence of the Game, due to screen on Seven this Friday night, shows a picture of a shark drawn on a whiteboard in the Hawks changerooms.
Clarkson can be heard tapping the whiteboard with a pen as he makes his point to the players.


"Sharks - they have to have forward momentum, sharks die ... if they get caught in a net because there's no water and oxygen running over their gills," he tells the team.
"So as soon as they stop, they die.


"What's that got to do with this? They (Geelong) are trying to come through us like a shark, good luck to them.
"Good luck to them on grand final (day), big stage, lots of pressure, the best defensive pressure side in the competition (is what) they're coming up against."


Clarkson does not raise his voice, but there is an urgent tone as he prepares the team.
"I will tell you one thing, a day like today, that's what is so good about playing this side," he says.
"They hate quick, elusive forwards and we've got good ones there.
"They hate a team with great accountability and ferocious attack on the footy and hunting around the contest.
"You must reach your goal and trample on anyone who tries to stop you."

 

[noosa hawk mad]

Re: Coach - Alistair Clarkson

Clarkson's chilling Grand Final instructions to Hawks
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/spo...-19742,00.html

• HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson told his underdog team to "kill the shark" in a chilling pre-match Grand Final speech with echoes of Leigh Matthews' famous Terminator line.

The instruction was Clarkson's brutal pre-match metaphor last year, seven years after Matthews used the extraordinary Arnold Schwarzenegger line, "If it bleeds, we can kill it", as a finals theme to topple all-conquering Essendon.


Clarkson's stirring pre-match, three-quarter time and post-match speeches will feature in Rob Dickson's documentary The Essence of the Game on Channel 7 tomorrow night.
The Herald Sun can reveal the contents of those speeches, as well as a mid-year crisis meeting in which Clarkson accused his players of being soft and "choosy" in their attack on contests.


.
"What is our No. 1 team rule? Go when it's your turn. Win the hard ball when it's your turn to go, and we are too choosy at the moment."
__________________