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

[chubbspeterson]

He had Pork.

A certain preliminary final coach coaching this weekend was also with us.

The topic of conversation surrounded the valuation of consistency vs ceiling.

They would take a player with very little deviation between their best and their worst vs a Tarryn Thomas type.

Clarko made clear we have a severe lack of talent on the list, his main issue is with the Northern academies and their impact on the comp. There was a few moments where I could plainly recognize why he might have issues with Hawthorn…

People thinking he’s here for the extended long term need to rethink (3-4+ years)

The Essendon offer was legitimate, the only reason it was rebuffed was it came the day after he accepted the North offer, otherwise it was a serious goer. It was made via Tim Watson and Roger Merrrett, both friends of his older brother, both West Vic boys. Clarko grew up in an Essendon zone and has a soft spot.

You think he'll retire when the contract is up or head off to Tassie?

 

[Sphynx]

You think he'll retire when the contract is up or head off to Tassie?

He was very much content, finished, retired. He’d planned it many years out with his end of Hawthorns contract coinciding with the last year of his youngest son’s schooling at Caulfield.

He was in Europe and the US as part of a stadium and start up franchise study on the AFL’s wicket, particularly focused on the Green Bay Packers, who the AFL are basing their Tassie investment on.

He hooked up with Steve Kerr at the GSW as another step and got the itch.

GWS and North were the only ones to offer a role, Essendon came after acceptance.

He’s Paul Roos, not John Longmire, from the horses mouth - his goal is to get us competitive again. That’s it. Anymore is a bonus.

 

[Sillygit]

Surprised he had pork.

I was thinking pork pies for some reason...

 

[Ligma]

Pork is haram

 

[zoomba23]

He was very much content, finished, retired. He’d planned it many years out with his end of Hawthorns contract coinciding with the last year of his youngest son’s schooling at Caulfield.

He was in Europe and the US as part of a stadium and start up franchise study on the AFL’s wicket, particularly focused on the Green Bay Packers, who the AFL are basing their Tassie investment on.

He hooked up with Steve Kerr at the GSW as another step and got the itch.

GWS and North were the only ones to offer a role, Essendon came after acceptance.

He’s Paul Roos, not John Longmire, from the horses mouth - his goal is to get us competitive again. That’s it. Anymore is a bonus.

Interesting insights. It's probably a bit unfair to suggest, but I'm going to suggest it anyway, because this is Bigfooty and most of us talk utter bollocks. Is there a chance he isn't going as hammer and tongs as he could be, as a result of his being Paul Roos, rather than John Longmire? His self-described goal perhaps holding him back from completely investing emotionally, in the knowledge that he's gone after '27 and someone else will be able to take over for that last brutal climb towards the summit (assuming we haven't summited by then)? Or is he giving all he has at the moment and trying to remain level-headed about things given all that's happened (realisation that we're shit beyond what he expected, racism saga etc.) Or, as the third option, do you have no idea because these areas weren't really touched on?

 

[Sphynx]

Interesting insights. It's probably a bit unfair to suggest, but I'm going to suggest it anyway, because this is Bigfooty and most of us talk utter bollocks. Is there a chance he isn't going as hammer and tongs as he could be, as a result of his being Paul Roos, rather than John Longmire? His self-described goal perhaps holding him back from completely investing emotionally, in the knowledge that he's gone after '27 and someone else will be able to take over for that last brutal climb towards the summit (assuming we haven't summited by then)? Or is he giving all he has at the moment and trying to remain level-headed about things given all that's happened (realisation that we're shit beyond what he expected, racism saga etc.) Or, as the third option, do you have no idea because these areas weren't really touched on?

I’ve no doubt the guy gives 100% to anything he’s involved with. None. He's an intense, salt of the earth, old school figure. The guy I was with was even more impressive and there's no doubt why he has a 70% winning record.

He’s not 20 years younger however.

I’m way more concerned tonight than I was this morning.

We/I was here long before he became coach when he had Hawthorns interests at heart. We will be here long after.

We were here when Brady was doing West Coast bidding and we will be here long after.

People are best to remember that.

People eventually change, the club and its supporters always remain. The same goes for players. They are often short term custodians. We are attached by a lifelong bond. We are the club.

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

He was very much content, finished, retired. He’d planned it many years out with his end of Hawthorns contract coinciding with the last year of his youngest son’s schooling at Caulfield.

He was in Europe and the US as part of a stadium and start up franchise study on the AFL’s wicket, particularly focused on the Green Bay Packers, who the AFL are basing their Tassie investment on.

He hooked up with Steve Kerr at the GSW as another step and got the itch.

GWS and North were the only ones to offer a role, Essendon came after acceptance.

He’s Paul Roos, not John Longmire, from the horses mouth - his goal is to get us competitive again. That’s it. Anymore is a bonus.

Were you interviewing him for his autobiography at this luncheon? My goodness, he told ya half his life story. Ray Martin wouldn’t of got that much out of him.

“Kangaroos fan are ya? Well the squads f**ked, I’m only there for the short term, and I would have went to Essendon if they had of contacted me earlier. Anyway, have a good lunch. I’m going to have a slap at the pokes before I head off”

 

[Sphynx]

Were you interviewing him for his autobiography at this luncheon? My goodness, he told ya half his life story. Ray Martin wouldn’t of got that much out of him.

“Kangaroos fan are ya? Well the squads f**ked, I’m only there for the short term, and I would have went to Essendon if they had of contacted me earlier. Anyway, have a good lunch. I’m going to have a slap at the pokes before I head off”

Don’t believe it/read it then.

Do you want cryptic crap or would you prefer I told it straight to some of the supporters who helped save this club and put their blood sweat and tears into it? I haven’t forgotten.

I was privileged to have intimate access today for a number of hours via my professional role, I have told you, it will no doubt blow back on me as there were only a few in the room and the people unlikely to post on an internet forum are the CEO of the AFL, Seven and others. The club know who I am and I have now betrayed a mountain of trust. I'm not here to milk it for years pretending as some ITK charlatan.

I couldn’t give a shit. I support the NMFC. Plenty of people know my pervious user name, Im not here to barrack for individuals here on temporary employment. This board/group of supporters is not a joke and is one to be respected, we proved that many years ago and deserve straight answers when some posters are in a position to provide them. Others have provided them over the years, I was in a position today.

 

[Zondor]

Clarko made clear we have a severe lack of talent on the list….

No way! Surely not. And clearly Rawling isn’t to blame for our current list make up. It wasn’t Rawling that went to the Board at the end of 2020 and said we need to cut the list. Since then Rawling has had no say in who the club has recruited and drafted. Nothing to do with him. Only 9 players left on the list since 2020. However Rawling is not responsible for the “severe lack of talent” on the list. Clearly this “severe lack of talent” has resulted due to “Creeping Assumptions”. :stern look

 

[Jeremy Jordan]

Don’t believe it/read it then.

Do you want cryptic crap or would you prefer I told it straight to some of the supporters who helped save this club?

I prevlidged to have intimate access today, I have told you, it will no doubt blow back on me as there were only a few in the room.

I couldn’t give a shit. I support the NMFC.

Only having a laugh mate.

It would be a strange story to come up with if it wasn’t true, and I appreciate you actually sharing it straight. Not dropping Da Vinci code like clues about where the info come from.

Not sure what to make of what he said. I’ve put all my eggs in the ‘clarko will turn it all around’ basket, that if it all goes to sh*t (sorry, even further to sh*t) I’ll be heart broken.

 

[King Corey]

He was very much content, finished, retired. He’d planned it many years out with his end of Hawthorns contract coinciding with the last year of his youngest son’s schooling at Caulfield.

He was in Europe and the US as part of a stadium and start up franchise study on the AFL’s wicket, particularly focused on the Green Bay Packers, who the AFL are basing their Tassie investment on.

He hooked up with Steve Kerr at the GSW as another step and got the itch.

GWS and North were the only ones to offer a role, Essendon came after acceptance.

He’s Paul Roos, not John Longmire, from the horses mouth - his goal is to get us competitive again. That’s it. Anymore is a bonus.

If he isn't real about tunnel visioned silverware talk, that's disappointing.

The thing that makes the early results bearable is the idea that he's desparate to climb the mountain with us.

The idea that he lifts us to 8 wins a year then waves as he rides into the sunset "My job here is done" would be a bit of a fizzer.

Hopefully there's a bit lost in translation.

 

[zoomba23]

I’ve no doubt the guy gives 100% to anything he’s involved with. None.

He’s not 20 years younger however.

I’m way more concerned tonight than I was this morning.

We/I was here long before he became coach when he had Hawthorns interests at heart. We will be here long after.

We were here when Brady was doing West Coast bidding and we will be here long after.

People are best to remember that.

People eventually change, the club and its supporters always remain. The same goes for players. We are the club.

I see.

That's a bit of a disappointing summary, in truth. Not really sure how to gather my thoughts but this, along with events post-lockdown makes the club feel like some sort of mould-infested, flea-ridden pit of squalor, to which no one is capable of applying the requisite guts and effort to save. Pres, Zurhaar, Clarko mention silverware, but so far, Sheezel's the only one out of anyone whose behaviour consistently demonstrates complete awareness of and drive to strive for what's required. And he's only gonna take it so far.

I've just had a go at apollocreed for being needlessly negative. Maybe he's just ahead of everyone else. Weird times

 

[Devington]

It's almost like Clarko has had two years with the list and realised how dumb and flaky some of the players are. How entrenched certain horrible attitudes are. Worst of all, how ignorant many of the players were of those facts. I compliment our leaders for keeping morale high enough that almost no one leaves, but they're pretty shithouse onfield leaders and haven't done much to foster an elite training mentality.

**** me I want us to be competing for silverware in Clarko's last year, but it will take some effort. Club should be funding specialised leadership training for Sheez and a handful of the other young players. It's where the leadership is going to come from in a couple of years, clear as day, so might as well make it a priority to prepare and empower them.

 

[gerry101101]

I just had lunch with Clarko and a former ex-president of ours I’m generally the last one to post this sort of stuff when it arises as I don’t like to big note, so take it for what it is.

Given the events at the moment:

“We aren’t recruiting him for experience or leadership, we are recruiting him because the lad can prepare himself and we think he’s got 2-3 year left of good footy left in him”

I put forward my displeasure.

Parker - Hopeful.

Konstanty - if Sydney want rid of him (im not hopeful given the read of his reaction to his name)

Would be more believable if you’d quoted Clarko like this:-

“We aren’t, um, recruiting him for, um, experience or leadership, um, we are recruiting him, um, because the lad can, um, prepare himself and we think, um, he’s got 2-3 year left of, um, good footy left in him. Um, and it’s like when I was at Hawthorn, and um…”

(Love ya Clarko)

 

[Sphynx]

If he isn't real about tunnel visioned silverware talk, that's disappointing.

The thing that makes the early results bearable is the idea that he's desparate to climb the mountain with us.

The idea that he lifts us to 8 wins a year then waves as he rides into the sunset "My job here is done" would be a bit of a fizzer.

Hopefully there's a bit lost in translation.

I asked him this specifically.

Silverware is always a goal, but the priority is to "get North competitive before I go off into the sunset"

 

[ferball]

I asked him this specifically.

Silverware is always a goal, but the priority is to "get North competitive before I go off into the sunset"

Thanks for sharing, especially if it comes at some cost.

Its always tough to know where you actually are but also always better than not knowing.

Cheers.

 

[bennymate]

Don’t believe it/read it then.

Do you want cryptic crap or would you prefer I told it straight to some of the supporters who helped save this club and put their blood sweat and tears into it? I haven’t forgotten.

I was privileged to have intimate access today for a number of hours via my professional role, I have told you, it will no doubt blow back on me as there were only a few in the room and the people unlikely to post on an internet forum are the CEO of the AFL, Seven and others. The club know who I am and I have now betrayed a mountain of trust. I'm not here to milk it for years pretending as some ITK charlatan.

I couldn’t give a shit. I support the NMFC. Plenty of people know my pervious user name, Im not here to barrack for individuals here on temporary employment. This board/group of supporters is not a joke and is one to be respected, we proved that many years ago and deserve straight answers when some people are in a position to provide them.

Insights and posts like this are the reason I come to this god-forsaken website. Thanks.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I asked him this specifically.

Silverware is always a goal, but the priority is to "get North competitive before I go off into the sunset"

That’ll do, pig.

 

[hilly]

I asked him this specifically.

Silverware is always a goal, but the priority is to "get North competitive before I go off into the sunset"

Thanks Sphynx. Clarko will be 59 and a half at the end of his contract so it wouldn't be a shock if he pulled the pin. I think I'd be happier if he identified a successor (succession plans can work when the head coach actually wants out).

 

[Junk yard]

Insights and posts like this are the reason I come to this god-forsaken website. Thanks.

Me too, but I'll be ****ed if that isn't a massive breach of trust. Like the campaigner mate that takes photos of you snorting powder and shares it with everyone.

 

[bennymate]

Me too, but I'll be ****ed if that isn't a massive breach of trust. Like the campaigner mate that takes photos of you snorting powder and shares it with everyone.

At the end of the day its our ****ing club mate, the people running the joint are always temporary, he is breaching their trust for the greater good of our club, ultimately it doesn't really matter. We have a right to know this sort of stuff.

 

[Junk yard]

At the end of the day its our ****ing club mate, the people running the joint are always temporary, he is breaching their trust for the greater good of our club, it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. We have a right to know this sort of stuff.

I love the info and don't doubt the authenticity but if you think publishing a private conversation on an internet forum with a bunch of strangers is okay I'm not sure where you're coming from.

 

[Junk yard]

Are you new to this forum?

It may be strange because I've just told you directly rather than drip feeding it over 12 months like some others on here tend to.

That's great but I bet you shook his hand at the start of the meeting? Do you think he would've spoken freely if you mentioned you'd be repeating the dialogue on big footy forum for a heap of strangers?

 

[Sphynx]

That's great but I bet you shook his hand at the start of the meeting? Do you think he would've spoken freely if you mentioned you'd be repeating the dialogue on big footy forum for a heap of strangers?

His candidness is not my concern. I've withheld 99% of the conversation anyway, I could post a lot more relating to the upcoming legal battles, but that's something to be respected.

Would you care about the sensitivities of Graham Duff, Caroline Wilson or others if the situation or individual was different? Or do you simply not like what I have posted?

Nothing I have said is completely shocking to be honest. IF you dont like the answers, that's your prerogative.


My takeaway from today is that we need to be keeping the short/medium term decisions extremely accountable at the moment. There's always an eye on the long term, but I believe the priority at the moment for the club and the hierarchy is the next 12-18 months, which I completely disagree with,

 

[Junk yard]

His candidness is not my concern. I've withheld 99% of the conversation anyway, I could post a lot more relating to the upcoming legal battles, but that's something to be respected.

Would you care about the sensitivities of Graham Duff, Caroline Wilson or others if the situation or individual was different? Or do you simply not like what I have posted?

Nothing I have said is completely shocking to be honest. IF you dont like the answers, that's your prerogative.


My takeaway from today is that we need to be keeping the short/medium term decisions extremely accountable at the moment. There's always an eye on the long term, but I believe the priority at the moment for the club and the hierarchy is the next 12-18 months, which I completely disagree with,

Well I certainly would be ducking him next time if I were you.