Coach Clarkson has left the building

[KnaveyBlue]

Timing is potentially interesting, Carlton review finishes Sunday.

My money is still on Collingwood tho, reckon they rolled out the Kingsley and Leppitsch job interviews to the media to give the illusion that they're doing due diligence. My money is on Clarkson being in the bag already.

On a side note, there's more than a touch of John Elliott about Kennett. Can't blame Hawks fans for being wary.

 

[goldfinger]

What is happening to my club

This is the early 90's all over again when the club had the cloying stench of mediocrity and decided to take a gigantic dump all over the legacies of great Hawthorn people from a great height.

We should be better than this. Even if it was Clarko's time (and I'd come around to thinking it maybe was), you treat your club legends with class. This is utterly, embarrassingly classless.

Jeffrey Gibb, thanks for your service, but off you ****. As soon as possible please, it just isn't working anymore. We'll keep the vinyl collection and the nice cutlery, and you can keep your golliwogs (do you not understand this is 2021 you fool) and Reeves, OK?

 

[HairyO]

If there was one prototypically Clarko player who would, it’s Sicily IMO

And Wingard. Imagine him at Carlton with Curnow and McKay. JOM in the middle with Walsh.

 

[killerspud]

I can fix AFL's Demons, says Jeff Kennett

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett says he can be the man to lift struggling AFL club Melbourne out of the mire if the supporters back him.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Flukey!]

Yes, for the best, as in the situation was clearly untenable as we had the footy dept and leadership group saying as much.

Rip off the band aid and move on.

100%.
If we are going to re-build, ****ing do it and do it properly.
Now is the best time for it.
Embrace it people.
Our next run at a flag has started.

 

[Nastyfish]

So according to the drop in The Age:



So:

1. Clarkson and Mitchell are not able to work together?

2. It's so bad that senior players had to raise it with Vandenberg?

3. Caro's source is Clarkson's manager, ie, Clarkson.

I was wondering who are the leadership players and here it is .... big boy, o’meara, worpel, Gunston, shiels and Mitchell. Don’t blame them, obviously not a workable situation and good on them for making this known.

“Following a robust internal process facilitated by Leading Teams, the Hawks have opted for a one captain, one vice-captain model, with McEvoy to be supported by Vice Captain Jaeger O’Meara who continues in the position for the second consecutive season.

Exciting young midfielder James Worpel is the sole new addition to the group, with the fourth-year Hawk earning his inclusion having cemented his place in the senior side over the past few years.

Experienced campaigners Liam Shiels, Jack Gunston and Tom Mitchell round out the six-man leadership group.”

 

[Lotus]

Culture, the word that always been associated with Hawthorn.

This is hurting so bad, haven't received the member mail, but not sure will be able to comprehend what will be written.

Yup, let's do a proper rebuild, players coaching staff and administrator as well, no point of doing a half baked approach.

Apologies, still really emotional .

 

[Blackhawk42]

I don't know why people are suggesting players will now seek to leave or follow Clarko elsewhere considering initially he wasn't going to be coaching the club in 12 months time anyway.

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

Good in a way to get it over and done with, got there in an interesting way though.

Suspect he got an offer too good to wait a year on?

 

[phreeze77]

Would there be a non compete clause to a pay out ?

Shocking news but was always seemingly on the cards as the conglomerate would never work when tactics and recruiting needed to suit the incumbent coach. What’s the incentive to set it up for him.

 

[Gaston]

If we are paying him then I hope he is prohibited from taking another coaching role without giving up the payments from hawthorn. We can’t be paying him to coach elsewhere.

Through all the emotional fanfare this will be missed by some.
Excellent question, was Clarkson and management called out on rumours or has the HFC stipulated terms in the pay out?

The AFL reducing the soft cap has placed a lot of pressure on the handling of this decision.

 

[GatesOfHell]

Caro nailed it six months out. Gotta hand it to the old biddy.

 

[Gene Simmons]

This is so poorly handled... I feel so gutted with how this has ended.

Clarko is an absolute legend who took on a rabble and turned us into a powerhouse. So much for the family club mantra.

Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction on my part but I feel so disheartened with this, I am prepared to hand in my 25 year membership.

 

[Mercy Seat]

Let's all hold fire until we hear the reason for this, from all parties.

If its a player led decision, I'm not sure of the anger towards Kennett or Reeves.

Absolutely we can. Even if it's player-initiated, Kennett and Reeves created the circumstances for something that most said was doomed to fail. It's an absolute mess however you look at it, and an absolute mess from the top down.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Would there be a non compete clause to a pay out ?

Shocking news but was always seemingly on the cards as the conglomerate would never work when tactics and recruiting needed to suit the incumbent coach. What’s the incentive to set it up for him.

Non-compete clauses would be unenforceable in the AFL. There are only 17 positions available to a senior coach at any one time, and no court would ever deny a senior coach the opportunity to apply for a role at a competing club after he leaves the same role at the first club.

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

This is so poorly handled... I feel so gutted with how this has ended.

Clarko is an absolute legend who took on a rabble and turned us into a powerhouse. So much for the family club mantra.

Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction on my part but I feel so disheartened with this, I am prepared to hand in my 25 year membership.

I won't be handing anything in, but it is what hurts the most. The way this era has ended has been nothing short of a disaster.

Will be avoiding an AFL talk shows etc. for quite awhile....

 

[Flukey!]

Absolutely we can. Even if it's player-initiated, Kennett and Reeves created the circumstances for something that most said was doomed to fail. It's an absolute mess however you look at it, and an absolute mess from the top down.

They may have simply been trying to do the right thing by all involved and it just hasn't worked.
Or its now evident it cant work.

That's OK.

 

[iameviljez]

I have to ask: what is so special about Mitchell that Hawthorn couldn’t risk just going through the competitive process in two years?

 

[Carl Spackler]

I was wondering who are the leadership players and here it is .... big boy, o’meara, worpel, Gunston, shiels and Mitchell. Don’t blame them, obviously not a workable situation and good on them for making this known.

“Following a robust internal process facilitated by Leading Teams, the Hawks have opted for a one captain, one vice-captain model, with McEvoy to be supported by Vice Captain Jaeger O’Meara who continues in the position for the second consecutive season.

Exciting young midfielder James Worpel is the sole new addition to the group, with the fourth-year Hawk earning his inclusion having cemented his place in the senior side over the past few years.

Experienced campaigners Liam Shiels, Jack Gunston and Tom Mitchell round out the six-man leadership group.”

I'm surprised it's here. Mitchell and Clarkson were so publicly committed to working together that I'm stunned the playing group felt the need to go to Vandenberg.

And I'm doubly surprised that Caro's source is Clarkson. She hammered Mitchell so hard, accusing him of undermining Clarkson and needing to watch his step, that the only source can be Clarkson himself (or his manager, same, same). It is just not what I expected Clarkson to do after he send off the legends of the last few years in the same way. Clarkson is Lewis. Not what I expected at all.

 

[Milkshaker]

I try to stand by the club through most things, but this looks so bad. Why allow Clarko to give a 12 minute speech about loyalty and seeing things through, only to do this a week or two later? Why the indignation about reports? Genuinely don't understand.

Neither do I. Feel pretty low. A group of borderline AFL players threatening for a spoon, overthrow Clarko. Just wow.

 

[palmomagpie]

Any harm in the club coming out and making an announcement? Please not one of Kennett's crap emails. I know they changed their cover photo on facebook to show they are there, but why does every reporter announce it, the AFL site etc. but not us

 

[Billyc]

They may have simply been trying to do the right thing by all involved and it just hasn't worked.
Or its now evident it cant work.

That's OK.

It is not ok. The whole thing has been shambolic. It was widely criticised as such from the moment it was announced and all the lies and gaslighting coming from the club in the last month hasn't changed that (even if a lot of people here lapped up those obvious lies).

It is the club's lowest point since the merger. An utter failing of governance, fuelled by arrogance, incompetence and disrespect.

I have no basis to have any faith in those running the club as we enter a rebuild. Broom is needed.

 

[iameviljez]

And Wingard. Imagine him at Carlton with Curnow and McKay. JOM in the middle with Walsh.

Only another ten or so players off a decent side

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I try to stand by the club through most things, but this looks so bad. Why allow Clarko to give a 12 minute speech about loyalty and seeing things through, only to do this a week or two later? Why the indignation about reports? Genuinely don't understand.

Club needs to answer this

 

[Mercy Seat]

Neither do I. Feel pretty low. A group of borderline AFL players threatening for a spoon, overthrow Clarko. Just wow.

Who knows what the truth is. Caro has already reported that many of the players were devastated by the whole thing a few weeks back.

It may well be that the whole situation caused a split in the playing group, and some of the senior guys felt that the bandaid solution was the only thing that would work long term.