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

[DuckYeah]

He did say he's looking forward to getting his feet back under the desk so possibly means he will be involved but not as game day coach.

Unprofessional to edit an interview like that. Third rate tv channel.

Expect anything else from click bait modern media?

 

[Lickmesocks]

Imagine spending your life in the game and dealing with 100s of young men and staff, building up a reputation as a super coach and then being accused of what we saw in the papers. Not many people would be able to deal with that.

It is incredible he is back as early as he is.

 

[King Corey]

Thought the clip was fine.

My only quibble was him referring to us in 3rd person.

 

[Sillygit]

some times, and i would say definitely this time, it's good to take a moment and reflect. In this instance: "am I searching for something to justify how I feel?", like for instance believing what some dumbass posts on twitter, or reading the absolute worst case scenario from an interview. Could it be that I feel bad and am looking for things that justify that feeling, rather than accurately assessing the situation.

 

[tales129]

Call me critical, but I’m getting a bit f*kn over him distancing himself from the club. Particularly whilst the whole club, players and supporters are on their knees.

I’m almost with you here.

Club is always bigger than individuals and yes clarko has been ****ed with a reverse pineapple, he’s always been a man of his word and this is the first time we’ve heard from him and I appreciate that hes slowly working back into it, but we need ****ing so much more right now

 

[My Left Foote]

Not a great look with Ratts saying Clarko will be back this season and Clarko suggesting the opposite

Don’t see this as an issue, we’re finally getting first hand information and that’s what is important here.

 

[justroyal]

Call me critical, but I’m getting a bit f*kn over him distancing himself from the club. Particularly whilst the whole club, players and supporters are on their knees.

‘See the lay of the land’

Yeah the layout is pretty ****ing shit atm, Clarko

 

[sheridan]

He'll definitely be back that much is certain. I get the sense that Clarko is all in on planning ahead for 2024. If that means he doesn't come back as full time coach for the remainder of 2023 than so be it. The bigger picture is more important.

similar views too EM…

he is looking at the bigger picture strategy to turn this sh*t around.
He knows the list needs to be regenerated(gutted) and the current year is shot.
By leaving ratts to coach, someone he trusts to handle the footy day to day operations pressers etc, regardless of outcome (W/L) it allows Clarko more time to focus his work on the real strategic issues ‘in the background’. tweaking game plan he is watching better teams play, list management by attending u18s matches etc etc . Then he can attack 2024 as the reset…

 

[Shinboner1]

Wouldn't be surprised if he's stepping back so he can see the lay of the land and how the clubs going re coaching staff.

 

[FlyHigh18]

Ever since the chair throwing thing I’ve always had this uneasy feeling that the time off wasn’t just about the racism investigation.

Someone make me feel better.

 

[Sillygit]

Ever since the chair throwing thing I’ve always had this uneasy feeling that the time off wasn’t just about the racism investigation.

Someone make me feel better.

just because there might be other reasons, doesn't make those reasons unassailable. Particularly as he chose to temporarily step down to adress exactly that, that makes it much more likely than not that a positive outcome is possible. Compare it to if he just soldiered on, as people often do, and burned to the point of no return. This is a far better path.

 

[hilly]

Ever since the chair throwing thing I’ve always had this uneasy feeling that the time off wasn’t just about the racism investigation.

Someone make me feel better.

It was 100% about it.

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Zondor]

Clarkson is smart enough to not come back before the West Coast game. :stern look

 

[Spud11]

Worried

 

[Cyber_punk]

Imagine spending your life in the game and dealing with 100s of young men and staff, building up a reputation as a super coach and then being accused of what we saw in the papers. Not many people would be able to deal with that.

It is incredible he is back as early as he is.

It would have to shake your own confidence to the core. Every time you interacted with people who had known you for years including friends you'd have it in the back of your mind "do they believe the stories about me?". The self-doubt would consume most.

 

[Cyber_punk]

All these posts about whether the playing group prefer ratten or Clarko… who cares? I know that with the mess we are in, I want a 4 time premiership coach who has been there before over anyone else.

These same players loved Scott, yet failed him towards the end. They ‘loved shaw ‘…. How did that work out? They also liked Noble for 12 months… then what?

If they don’t like it, they can leave. We aren’t exactly a list full of world beaters…. The best players except Thomas have all signed up until end of 2025.

Bit of a tail-wags-the-dog thing, you think? Giving them the power to choose their own captain, signing many to long term deals. Some probably realise they are untouchable.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

Is it possible the Roo's asked Clarko to distance himself from the club, whilst dealing with his pre Roo's problems away from the club?

As a fan of Clarko i am wrapt he is taking his time to return in 2023.

Personally if i were a Roo fan, id be wrapt Clarko has turned his attention to 2024. Let him work on list prep and the game plan for 2024.

Ratts can see out 2023 as snr coach under Clarkos guidence.

Roo's 2023 is a ride off like my Hawks year. With Ratts as coach i feel the AFL will look after you more with an assistance package.

All the BEST Clarko, rest easy Roos youve got one of the best coaches still.

 

[chairo]

Must admit, he still doesn't look right.

 

[Carey4life]

It feels like there is a fair bit of cognitive dissonance in this thread. We need to accept the clarko not coaching for half the season is not part of some grand clarko plan to set us up for 2024. He's not playing some longer-term strategic game.

It has been a disaster, that wouldn't be okay on most industries. Let's hope it works out for the better from now!

 

[murray wrensted]

I think being a North supporter over the last while has made us all a bit like shelter dogs. We expect the worst. The fact he’s back at the club says everything we need to know.

The situation isn’t ideal, but for Clarko to show enough vulnerability to put his hand up for help is massive. Anyone chasing clicks off this is a grub.

Stick fat, they’re gonna hate us when we climb

 

[giantroo]

“What I am more interested in now is getting my feet back under the desk here and rolling up my sleeves and helping this club get itself back off the canvas.”

“We know where we are at as a footy club. To the wider football community, North is not making any progress, but I can see things from behind the scenes, even from afar that we are still making progress,”

- Alastair Clarkson

 

[Mute Point]

One thing he should be doing is using his pull with the afl and the hawks debacle to make sure we get afl draft assistance

Exactly this. Hawthorn have thrown the hand grenades and just walked away, nothing to see here as far as they're concerned, all the while developing their playing group & game plan. Meanwhile we're left eating a sh*t sandwich through no fault of our own. NMFC prez, CEO & coach will be derelict in their duties if they don't push this agenda with the AFL decision makers. No doubt in my mind this has cost us at least 1 year in player & game plan development.

 

[Cool Kangas]

I now have a good feeling about this week's game.....

Pls don’t get your hopes up. Genuinely. We couldn’t get near the hawks, won’t get anywhere near St Kilda.

 

[Cool Kangas]

“What I am more interested in now is getting my feet back under the desk here and rolling up my sleeves and helping this club get itself back off the canvas.”

“We know where we are at as a footy club. To the wider football community, North is not making any progress, but I can see things from behind the scenes, even from afar that we are still making progress,”

- Alastair Clarkson

Where’d you get the full quote GR?

 

[giantroo]

Where’d you get the full quote GR?

Clarkson opens up on break; Blue cops ban; Scott not wild on wildcards

Alastair Clarkson says he is refreshed after having time off, but his full return to the coaching box may not happen at all this season. Meanwhile, Blues backman Jordan Boyd cops a lengthy ban at the tribunal while it was good news for Sydney’s Dane Rampe.

www.theage.com.au

Spoiler

Alastair Clarkson says he has had a chance to “recalibrate” after a mental health break, but does not know yet whether he will take full charge of North Melbourne before the end of the season.

Clarkson, who had taken a month off while dealing with the mental and physical toll of the Hawthorn racism investigation, in which he strenuously denied all allegations, returned to work more than a week ago, but had yet to meet with the entire playing group.

He had been analysing opposition tactics, helping caretaker coach Brett Ratten with his plans, and also dissecting potential draft selections, including attending last Sunday’s under-18 national championships clash between Vic Country and Vic Metro at Ikon Park.

However, the four-time premiership coach won’t be in charge on game day just yet.

On a crisp winter’s morning at Arden Street, Clarkson said on Tuesday he was feeling refreshed after his break.

​

“I have been incredibly fortunate that the club has given me the opportunity to take some time to recalibrate my physical and mental wellbeing. I have been involved in the game for a long period of time, it does take its toll. I found that out the hard way about 10 weeks ago,” Clarkson told Nine News.

“I am enormously grateful to [club president] Sonja [Hood] and the board, [chief executive] Jen Watt and [football department boss] Todd Viney for understanding the unique circumstances I faced. Now to repay the faith, get back on this journey with the Kangas, get them off the canvas and back being relevant again.

“We have had a tough period of time as a footy club. These last 12 months for the club has been difficult too, with Sonja’s illness, my stepping away for eight or 10 weeks, too.”

Ratten has led the Kangaroos in eight matches, all defeats in what has been another year of tumult for the club. He will remain in charge for Sunday’s clash against St Kilda, the club which dumped him in October, just three months after re-signing him on a two-year contract.

“I am incredibly grateful for Ratts to step in and take control of things in really difficult circumstances, am just looking forward to getting on with it now,” Clarkson said.
Alastair Clarkson concedes he might not coach the Roos again this year, despite being welcomed back to Arden Street on Tuesday.
However, Clarkson suggested it would be unfair if he immediately replaced Ratten.

“I am so very, very mindful I have had little to do with the program over the last eight weeks, so it would be a little bit disrespectful if I walked straight back into the club and just expected – I need to find out what’s being going on, what the lay of the land is, out of respect for Ratts and the players, just try to slowly reintegrate my way back in,” Clarkson said.

“Today is my first real contact day with the players ... this is just going to take a bit of time. It might mean that I don’t coach again this year, but it’s probably more likely that it will be later rather than sooner.”

​

While the investigation into claims of racism at Hawthorn during Clarkson’s tenure ended in May, with no findings against Clarkson, football lieutenant Chris Fagan and welfare boss Jason Burt, the families at the centre of the case have taken their claims to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

“That is still ongoing and that will probably take some time,” Clarkson replied when asked whether it was a relief the AFL investigation had concluded.

“What I am more interested in now is getting my feet back under the desk here and rolling up my sleeves and helping this club get itself back off the canvas.”

The Kangaroos have much to discuss, for they won the last of their two matches in round two, and have since lost 15 straight. Heading for what would be a third-straight wooden spoon, and with only nine wins from their past 76 matches, they are debating whether to ask the AFL for a priority pick.

“We know where we are at as a footy club. To the wider football community, North is not making any progress, but I can see things from behind the scenes, even from afar that we are still making progress,” Clarkson said.

The AFL last year granted the Kangaroos a future second and third-round selections, which they had to use in a trade, this becoming a deal for Fremantle’s Griffin Logue. They were also allowed to have two extra rookie-list spots.

They are also examining whether they can sign Tasmanian midfielder Ryley Sanders, who won the Larke Medal on Sunday as the best player at the under-18 championships. The Kangaroos hope Sanders, who has received his certificate of Aboriginality, can be included in their Next Generation Academy.