Opinion What is the plan for North?

[Hollow Knight]

Was Clarkson really the magic behind that Hawthorn dynasty, or was it Fagan under the radar?

In any case, in the year of our lord 2025, Clarko feels like an anachronism.

 

[Outtatym]

The crows have largely done a good job with their list.

Drafted pretty well.
Picked up discarded players who are playing important roles, eg Keays and hinge
Brought in talent

North has mucked up that many picks. Brought in spud players and can’t attract any genuine talent. Oh and they also lose the decent talent they have to other teams.

They’ve spent 6 seasons building their midfield and it sucks.

Only players I can think of are JHF and McKay who they let walk.
Who else?

 

[Outtatym]

He was bad, but Rawlings is worse imo.

Yep. Before North he was at WC. Which players did he draft at WC that are still playing that are any good? He's horrible

Bingo. Been saying it for the last 3 years, North simply cannot go into another draft with this clown involved. I guess he can't cook the first round pick this year as he's already given it away.

 

[largebus]

5 years actually, which is even more impressive when you think about it.

Forgot he was at the Eagles, that explains a lot about both clubs' predicaments.

 

[Impunity!]

Yep. Before North he was at WC. Which players did he draft at WC that are still playing that are any good? He's horrible

Very much this.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Free agency was the worst thing to happen to clubs like North and St Kilda who are the smallest fish in the saturated VFL market.

There are too many teams in the VFL.

Perhaps. But it's not an excuse for them to still be as bad as they are.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Is it him, or the development after? North have the most top 10 draft picks in the comp, along with Suns. Luke Davies-Uniacke, Zane Duursma, Griffin Logue, Luke McDonald, Colby McKercher, Finn O'Sullivan, Will Phillips, Harry Sheezel, Dylan Stephens, George Wardlaw. It comes a time as a list manager when you must think, "what more do I have to do for you guys".

It's him.

Carlton and Melbourne were just as terrible culturally and in terms of player development but we still managed to pick some genuine stars along the way who were ultra competitive and team driven. Players you can build a club around.

Norths best player is LDU who from before he was drafted was more interested in surfing then playing footy. Got his huge contract and instantly lost interest.

Genuinely other than Wardlaw and Sheezel I can't see a single player that I think is the type to lead the club out of misery.

They've had an infinite number of high picks and the list still looks absolutely putrid even when projecting into the future.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Was Clarkson really the magic behind that Hawthorn dynasty, or was it Fagan under the radar?

In any case, in the year of our lord 2025, Clarko feels like an anachronism.

Neither team was full of generational players most coaches could of gotten at least 1 flag with that list.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Perhaps. But it's not an excuse for them to still be as bad as they are.

Proof is in the pudding. Free agency and compromised drafts have not been good for the evenness of the league. It is too hard to rebuild when the best players are being taken by teams not down the bottom

 

[The Casey Cat]

Clarkson was the great white hope.

It’s gonna be interesting to see how that unfolds now - at what point does everybody admit it hasn’t worked, and where the hell do they go from there.

Talented young players going elsewhere is what will really rip their heart out. Players won’t hang around for this.

Clarko seen as the hope is the problem. Clearly out of ideas way before he got there. The shit decisions this club have made with him (and Rawlings) are far more responsible for where they're at than free agency or whatever people want to blame for why bigger and more secure clubs stay ahead of them.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Clarkson was the great white hope.

It’s gonna be interesting to see how that unfolds now - at what point does everybody admit it hasn’t worked, and where the hell do they go from there.

Talented young players going elsewhere is what will really rip their heart out. Players won’t hang around for this.

Yes this is the problem now. Talented 22-24yos walking out the door to Collingwood, Hawthorn, Geelong, Freo, etc.

 

[The Casey Cat]

Proof is in the pudding. Free agency and compromised drafts have not been good for the evenness of the league. It is too hard to rebuild when the best players are being taken by teams not down the bottom

Again maybe. But it's not a reason or excuse for them to still be this bad. They have made horrendous decisions regarding coaching and list management.

 

[Elixuh]

Only players I can think of are JHF and McKay who they let walk.
Who else?

Those are two huge losses in the scheme of a build

 

[Hollow Knight]

Oh jesus, I forgot they traded their first rounder this year, for a second rounder last year. Makes it very hard to put your hand out for a high priority pick or complain about compromised drafts when you make decisions like that.

 

[Outtatym]

Those are two huge losses in the scheme of a build

JHF sure. McKay is debatable - he was terrible in the 18 months before he left. It's hardly Brisbane levels of exodus.

If North wanted him they would have kept him - looking at his performances at Essendon id say it was justified.
It was what they did with compo pick that's the problem.

 

[Red Bull]

I've been a supporter for 45 years and a member for over half of those years.

Just board the joint up.

I'm calling the club Monday morning to cancel my membership. I'm done.

 

[Elixuh]

JHF sure. McKay is debatable - he was terrible in the 18 months before he left. It's hardly Brisbane levels of exodus.

If North wanted him they would have kept him - looking at his performances at Essendon id say it was justified.
It was what they did with compo pick that's the problem.

Your defence is god awful. He’d be an upgrade on what you have. But you’re correct that it’s more than one player.

You may need to do what st Kilda is doing and just offer crazy irresponsible contracts to players to get them on the list.

 

[lalorGOAT]

Because the Suns and Giants have been put at such a disadvantage. lol. Is this a real comment?

Yes this is real. No one wanted to play for either of them for years. Is this a real response?

 

[ImCheatingToWin]

Sack the females at the top. Useless....

Let's be honest here, it's football & is much better run by males. Look at all the females involved in AFL or the clubs - pretty bad track record.

Feeeemales
Stay in the basement my guy

 

[lalorGOAT]

Sack the females at the top. Useless....

Let's be honest here, it's football & is much better run by males. Look at all the females involved in AFL or the clubs - pretty bad track record.

Peggy O'Neil says hello

 

[Mr.X]

Clarko seen as the hope is the problem.

Nth did need a big name coach, and clarko was always going to be their choice.

They’ve bottomed out, and are on the way up. Not sure clarko will still be there when they finally do become a finals side

 

[Sewer de Lance]

North are a foundational club, foundational in holding up the entire AFL ladder for well over a decade. They need recognition, not condemnation.

 

[GC2015]

Was Clarkson really the magic behind that Hawthorn dynasty, or was it Fagan under the radar?

It's an interesting question considering Fagan's first year with Hawthorn was 2008 and that just so happened to be the year that they won their first flag since the early 90s. The Hawks went on to win three more premierships while Fagan was with them and Fagan's last year at Hawthorn was 2016, which just so happened to be the last time the Hawks made the finals with that particular playing group. They wouldn't return to September until 8 years later in 2024 after a complete list rebuild and their last two seasons have resulted in 7th & 8th place finishes under Sam Mitchell.

Fagan, on the other hand, went from wooden spooners in his first year at the Lions to a top 2 finish 24 months later. That is an enormous jump in an extremely small amount of time and we all know Brisbane have remained a top 4 side since that breakthrough 2019 season with two premiership won so far and there's every chance a third could be on the way in the near future.

If you look at it on paper, Clarkson really didn't achieve a whole lot without Fagan. It's really just the 2007 finals series where the Hawks lived up to their 5th seeding and got knocked out in the second week of September. So is Clarko really the guy that's going to take North to where they want to go or did he get incredibly lucky at Hawthorn with the assistant coaches they had like Chris Fagan, Damien Hardwick, Adam Simpson and Luke Beveridge?

 

[maskmcgee]

Fagan's last year at Hawthorn was 2016, which just so happened to be the last time the Hawks made the finals with that particular playing group. They wouldn't return to September until 8 years later in 2024

they finished 4th in 2018

 

[GC2015]

they finished 4th in 2018

That's true. Slipped on that. My mistake.

It was an interesting end to the 2018 season for Hawthorn. After missing the finals in 2017, they were sitting in 10th place leading into round 18 and then they reeled off 6 wins in a row to squeeze into the top 4 before getting knocked out in straight sets. 4 of those 6 wins to get them into the top 4 were by 10 points or less and several wins were against bottom 4 teams. So Hawthorn really did squeeze into that position and were arguably exposed in September by Richmond and Melbourne.

Regardless, Clarko did that without Fagan so you have to give him some props for that. It wasn't quite the heights they reached with Fagan inside the four walls, but it was still a solid season.