News Clarkson news, media etc - he’s off into the Sunset!

[Strapping Young Lad]

Full Presser at the link below.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

The body language at the start of the press conference BEFORE Clarko starts speaking is horrible from Justin, Sam and Clarko. They all look like they don't really want to be there.

Because they all know they're there to please the media and don't have anything to say that couldn't be put out in a memo

 

[Alsmypal]

Best post ever !

I like how he got my character so wrong and that only time will tell if this isn’t a debacle but anyways don’t let facts get in the way of it.

 

[hawkman]

You’d be wrong. No person is bigger than the club. I think Dunstall summarised it perfectly that Clarko is someone special that has earnt the right to go out on his terms.
This doesn’t look like he is. It’s been poorly planned and managed with a hastily put together press conference on the back of some interest from a rival two weeks back. That’s not much of a plan that to me sounds like amateur hour. Did anyone consider Collingwood did this to actually get Clarko not Mitchell? You don’t react with a well orchestrated plan in effect by another club that seems in trouble. Was Mitchell actually going there anyways if he knew he’d be taking the reigns at Hawthorn at some point? Lots of holes in this story...

Disagree with this. Many at Essendon felt the same about Sheedy but most would now say he stayed too long to the detriment of the club

 

[Coathanger]

I can't believe how many never heard of wannabes on here have crawled out from under the rock!
Where are you guys every other week?
Someone,please shut the asylum gates!

 

[Alsmypal]

Disagree with this. Many at Essendon felt the same about Sheedy but most would now say he stayed too long to the detriment of the club

Whilst I get what you’re saying what has Essendon achieved since Sheedy left?

 

[flinchfree]

You’d be wrong. No person is bigger than the club. I think Dunstall summarised it perfectly that Clarko is someone special that has earnt the right to go out on his terms.
...........

You completely contradict yourself.
You're suggesting because it's Clarko, he's bigger than the club and should decide his own terms.
I think that's ridiculous, but I can see you're fixed on your position and little point discussing further.
I'll step out first.

 

[Rev08]

Whilst I get what you’re saying what has Essendon achieved since Sheedy left?

Well you could argue he is partly responsible for the next few years after he left. (Not suggesting he is responsible for the Hird era, but certainly had a large part to play in the club Knights inherited)

 

[Yardie]

In fairness I would rather eat a needle disposal box than talk to the collective dullards that comprise the AFL media.

Wait second, Clarkson perked up when he started to talk to them...... Looks like your theory went out the door.

 

[Ceej Mentality]

Wait second, Clarkson perked up when he started to talk to them...... Looks like your theory went out the door.

Was more of a quip than a theory. I thought the hyperbole gave that away.

 

[Pessimistic]

Disagree with this. Many at Essendon felt the same about Sheedy but most would now say he stayed too long to the detriment of the club

‘if we are looking at other clubs for example, the succession between Malthouse and Buckley had a lot of downside. hawks situation may be cleaner inside, and of course kennet does not have an unhealthy admiration for mitchell.

but it will be messy in the media. Get used to that fact

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Clarko could not commit long-term (2025 and beyond), which is fair enough given how long he's been in the game.

The club wanted long term stability in order to move through this rebuilding period - and given Clarko couldn't commit longer-term it was decided that Mitchell would take over. The club took the long-term option. This move was accelerated due to Collingwood wanting Mitchell.

Be assured that Clarko and the rest of the club believe in Mitchell.

 

[grumbleguts]

I would adore Dunstall or Langford as our next president, but why would they do it?

Clarkson should go for that position.

 

[SammyC]

Would love to know more about the decision making process.

For sure, me too. Sounds like clarko raised an issue a couple of days before a scheduled board meeting, it got escalated and discussed at that level and a decision was made.

but on what basis was the decision made? How could the board be suitably informed to make a call on Clarkson? Who made the recommendation that was endorsed (as would be normal practice). AND on what basis did the Board decide sam was the right candidate?

the decision making process appears to be a charade.

from a distance I don’t agree with the decision, it appears nonsensical, but if due process was followed and considered advice sought internally (or externally) then I understand that others are better placed to make an informed decision. The timing as communicated just simply didn’t allow for that to happen.

 

[Scorpia21]

Mature and professional? Cringeworthy press conference and a hastily made decision because Collingwood was interested. Let me know your business so I can steer clear lol

I absolutely agree with you!

We got our coaching business strategies influenced and decisions dictated/steered termed by the narratives unfolding at a rabble of a club and whose board is a mess Collingwood!!

Clarkson is still the best coach and should have had his contract extended come at the end of the year as Our board had stipulated a month ago.

Sam is still you enough and should have had his contact extended at Box Hill years end and he can wait for the Hawthorn coaching vacancy as did Longmuire for 9 years at Sydney and plenty of time ahead of him.

Clarko had this team going again don't understimate him and proof by him taking a more responsibility and passion was still alive shown this year!!

Faux Board and get F#cked Jeff.

Ahhh!! The novelty of a new young coach when you got the best in the
business and decision is like all the Ageism romantic crap happening in the Afl Coaches circle.

Hardwick pissed of his long term partner missus who was good for him to bed with a younger lass. Footy Gods not being nice to Richmond are they!!!

I believe stick to the love and loyalty shown by Clarko and let him finish what he was embarking to complete and forget about being pussy whipped by the young unproven.

All the best Sammy

 

[Alsmypal]

You completely contradict yourself.
You're suggesting because it's Clarko, he's bigger than the club and should decide his own terms.
I think that's ridiculous, but I can see you're fixed on your position and little point discussing further.
I'll step out first.

Did you see what Dunstall said about someone special comes along within the club that has a bigger say etc etc. it’s summarises how I view Clarko. He isn’t bigger than the club but with four premierships you have a right to say how you go out the door. This wasn’t it. No need for a press conference whatsoever yesterday. Nothing that couldn’t be achieved by a well run club behind closed doors with a well orchestrated plan. Let him coach until the end of 2022 and then have a send off. All this grandstanding yesterday was really out of character for the club.

 

[2OLD 2SLOW]

Well you could argue he is partly responsible for the next few years after he left. (Not suggesting he is responsible for the Hird era, but certainly had a large part to play in the club Knights inherited)

I have an Essendon mate (originally from Scotland, so didn't know any better) who would argue that Knights had no-one to blame but himself for his inglorious tenure. He remembers Knights' Bombers as the most one-way running, bruise-free team he has ever seen (and that includes the Worsfold incarnation). Used to drive him nuts.

 

[Ceej Mentality]

Clarkson should go for that position.

If it wasn't an unpaid position I think he would be excellent at it. At 54 I can't see him taking an unpaid position.

 

[CHUBBSS]

In fairness I would rather eat a needle disposal box than talk to the collective dullards that comprise the AFL media.

Agree, That’s a great thing… they all want to get on with the actual job and not pander to the nupties

 

[deanc]

In fairness I would rather eat a needle dispensary box than talk to the collective dullards that comprise the AFL media.

Concur, but the AFL media are essentially just doing their job - despite this 'news' being a well known plan for years and the announcement of this 'news' being presented in a clear and concise manner, it's the media's job is to create a headline/story/narrative to encourage further discussion/debate/outrage - that's simply media 101.
Also, perhaps some are forgetting Mr Dunstall, is a prominent identity in this environment who, despite his personal views on the announcement, would also have his employers expecting him to adhere to media 101....

Related, I know from club insiders that certain media identities despise our club due to our military style discretion when it comes to dealing with the media - refer recent events; Patton issue, Lewis concussion, which both could of been much much bigger stories if the club had offered anything that resembled expanded commentary - which is mainly due to Kennett's political style 'need-to-know' protocols he introduced when he first arrived at the club and which have been further refined since...

 

[PT Bar None]

I can't believe how many never heard of wannabes on here have crawled out from under the rock!
Where are you guys every other week?
Someone,please shut the asylum gates!

Jeff shut down the mental health hospitals when he was Premier.


So we can blame him for the asylum gates as well!

 

[Pessimistic]

There’s a philosophical argument about renewal and whether you can ‘manage it’ or whether you should even try to manage it.

could it be the decision making process is largely done by the (so called) dinosaurs who are to be ‘eased out’?

maybe it needs to be a messy process, to allow disruptive innovation to take place


I go back to the decision to merge with Melbourne which any number of price Waterhouse etc reports said was the only way to go, and the alternative would be two clubs just wallowing in mediocrity or worse. The quote ‘ we are above tin rattling’
We ended up with a disruptive model involving don scott and Ian dicker, which wasn’t always smooth and the afl clearly hated it.

 

[Pessimistic]

Jeff shut down the mental health hospitals when he was Premier.


So we can blame him for the asylum gates as well!

‘I was looking for some online material but in the Jeff.com election kennet was making some older ministers (who incidentally would be rivals for his job) resign to make for ‘renewal’ of younger people in the party and ministry after his inevitable election win.

so how good does today’s Victorian liberal party look in terms of ability? The NSW libs would be happy about it cos their idea of national government is NSW centric

Jeff seems overly obsessed with managing renewal and change, strange that most things point to him being not very good at it

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Clarko could not commit long-term (2025 and beyond), which is fair enough given how long he's been in the game.

The club wanted long term stability in order to move through this rebuilding period - and given Clarko couldn't commit longer-term it was decide a that Mitchell would take over. The club took the long-term option. This move was accelerated due to Collingwood wanting Mitchell.

Be assured that Clarko and the rest of the club believe in Mitchell.

It’s been quite obvious for some time.

I’ve never seen the club so keen to highlight an assistants role via their social media accounts as we have with Sam over the last 12 months.

 

[Goldnbrown]

It is easy to get caught up in the emotions of what's has happened and of course people don't like change. The reality is we don't know the details of exactly how it unfolded and we may never know. Some posters seem to overestimate Jeff's role as president, he is primarily the spokesperson, he is not the boss nor the sole decision maker, he is one voice of many that run our incredibly successful club. To those who say the board are yes men to Kennett, have you actually looked at the talents of the people on our board? They are not yes people, huge decisions like this would have been in discussions for a while, and events at Collingwood probably just accelerated the process. If our club or any was run by their president they would be in a huge mess like Collingwood for example.

Secondly to those saying as a fact that Clarko is the best coach in the AFL by a mile... I think many in the football industry may say that right now Hardwick is and that Clarko was between 2008 and 2016 and perhaps others have passed him by. That does not mean he right up there as one of the greatest coaches in AFL history but maybe he is past his best.

In saying this I am not anti Clarko at all and would have been equally accepting if the club made the decision to extend his contract. At the end of the day no club gets 100% of decisions correct its impossible, our great club gets more decisions right than most and ask any St Kilda, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon supporters. The club has made another big call, time will tell if it was another good one

 

[Judd2Sewell]

It’s been quite obvious for some time.

I’ve never seen the club so keen to highlight an assistants role via their social media accounts as we have with Sam over the last 12 months.

Yes it seems to have been a long time coming. The Collingwood situation had just accelerated the process/announcement. If Buckley was staying on I believe that this announcement would have been made at the end of the season.