Toast .

Remove this Banner Ad

I remember thinking what a great choice the Hawks had made when they announced it. Clarko was an unknown and beat some pretty high profile contenders. It really reinforced to me that the committee was after substance, not reputation. One of the best calls ever made!
 
Only the 3rd? That says alot about the man doesn't it?
I didn't expect it at the time but am a long-time convert now.
Well done Al.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Massive fan of the man. Will surpass Jeansy in Hawthorn games coached sometime mid-next season.
Great coach, no robot media performer, passion, mongrel, decent sense of humour and a fierce desire to always improve himself and the team.
Well done Clarko.
 
yes congrats.
I racall thinking "who the hell?" when he became coach, but the more I learnt about him convinced me he might do alright.

Clarko plus some great recruiting and some great draft picks have us where we are now, in the hunt for our 11th flag.

Cheers Clarko!
 
Argy said:
I remember thinking what a great choice the Hawks had made when they announced it. Clarko was an unknown and beat some pretty high profile contenders. It really reinforced to me that the committee was after substance, not reputation. One of the best calls ever made!
Click to expand...
Reinforcing that we make our own decisions, not what media personalities think we should be doing.

That is the difference between good clubs and great ones
 
I remember when he was appointed, I had no idea who he was, but read that he had coached in SA, done an MBA and funded himself to go to USA and UK to learn from other sporting organisations. With that kind of drive and ambition, I knew then that he was a man who was a cut above the rest of the football community. We did brilliantly well to snag him.
Since then he has shown all that he is an elite leader. Including that he is not so set in his ways that he will not change, if things are not going as planned. We have often seen innovative plans or changes in strategy that have changed the course of a game or a season (2010). He is constantly learning on the job and this year we are seeing a lot of it, in terms of player management (especially not leaving guys like Mitchell and Roughead on the ball for the majority of the year anymore). Further, virtually every player on the list has improved under Clarkson's watch. We now have depth that can seriously challenge, and very good players are missing out on the senior side.
Hopefully he will stay for quite a few more years yet.
 
I absolutely love Clarko and sometimes I can't believe I am the same age as him.
I really was a sceptic when the club appointed him, but I think he is without a doubt one of the best things to come along at the HFC in a long time. Love ya heaps Clarko..:thumbsu:
 
Win the flag this year and he will surpass kanga during his next contact. Is as hawthorn as they come. Can't wait for his next media incident.
 
Love the effect he has had on our club over the journey. He just knows how to get the best out of his players , and those that don't stand up don't stay.
Masterful coach - hopefully the team will get him and themselves what they are badly after - another flag!
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Must say I was happy with the choice, due to his qualifications, not his experience. I did become skeptical when we appeared to become one dimensional and too negative in 2005. However, I eventually became a great fan, and hope he has a few years, and flags left before he quits. A job well done Clarko, now it's up to the players to show their appreciation by pulverizing those Eagles!
 
Not bad
From near nobody, to arguably the most respected coach in the game

His story is a true Aussie story

Working class family, failed sporting tenure
Huge risk spending lots of money to "study" at worlds largest businesses
toiling away at the lower levels before getting his chance
 
Clarko often fails to get the plaudits that Ross Lyon or other coaches get. (y'know, because almost getting a flag is better than actually getting one and almost getting a second).

Part of it is because of this idea that Clarkson has such a talented list.

Well I'd like to highlight that he has crafted and recrafted that list and is now giving us another thrust at a flag. He is a gun, and the best coach in the AFL for mine.
 
Mitchell Madness said:
Not bad
From near nobody, to arguably the most respected coach in the game

His story is a true Aussie story

Working class family, failed sporting tenure
Huge risk spending lots of money to "study" at worlds largest businesses
toiling away at the lower levels before getting his chance
Click to expand...
knowing him he probably funds his learning trips himself not the club
 
HAWKS HEROES said:
knowing him he probably funds his learning trips himself not the club
Click to expand...
That's what I was getting at
These trips were before a role at any AFL club
He met a relative of someone at Bolton fc, who set up a 1 month trip
e trip to Bolton got him in contact with Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL

he paid both out of his own pocket for the chance

He also pays out of his own pocket for players to go on these study trips (most recently suckling and Woodward
 
Leather Poisoning said:
Clarko often fails to get the plaudits that Ross Lyon or other coaches get. (y'know, because almost getting a flag is better than actually getting one and almost getting a second).

Part of it is because of this idea that Clarkson has such a talented list.

Well I'd like to highlight that he has crafted and recrafted that list and is now giving us another thrust at a flag. He is a gun, and the best coach in the AFL for mine.
Click to expand...

Last part is spot on.

Designed the list the way he wanted to coach the team

- Using early picks on Talls instead of smalls, got us Franklin and Roughhead.

- Got to be tough- Jordan Lewis was not the 7th best player in the draft and was not rated as such ( he would have probably been top 20). We all know why we picked him.

- Footskills - few players in our 22 do not have above average Footskills. The ones that dont are exceptionally tough - shiels, Sewell, pup.

People think he just magically inherited a great list but he didn't. He just drafted tough skilled players and used his best picks on talls. Also he has picked off other clubs discards beautifully - Gibson and Hale have played BY FAR their best footy here, burgers and lake have been sensational pickups, and already Simpkin is making geelong stupid for delisting him.

The guy is a freak.
 
Leather Poisoning said:
Clarko often fails to get the plaudits that Ross Lyon or other coaches get. (y'know, because almost getting a flag is better than actually getting one and almost getting a second).

Part of it is because of this idea that Clarkson has such a talented list.

Well I'd like to highlight that he has crafted and recrafted that list and is now giving us another thrust at a flag. He is a gun, and the best coach in the AFL for mine.
Click to expand...

Very true. You can bet your bottom dollar losing Croad and few others before their time was up required almost an instant mini rebuild..... Unlike the Cats who had a young list come through together. Awesome job from Clarko.
 
I have lots of love for the man. He is in my opinion easily the best coach in the league and has been from some time. His mini rebuild in 2009 was genius and hopefully we will continue to see the fruits of that for a fair few more years to come :). I also love the way that he isn't scared to give anyone a spray, lol. Congrats Clarko!
 
Great 2008 said:
Very true. You can bet your bottom dollar losing Croad and few others before their time was up required almost an instant mini rebuild..... Unlike the Cats who had a young list come through together. Awesome job from Clarko.
Click to expand...
Yep - having Croad, Campbell, Dew, Crawford all leave at once, with Brown and Williams shortly after was a huge challenge for the list.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Toast .

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top