Alastair Clarkson
Encyclopedia
Alastair Clarkson is a former Australian rules football
er and current coach of the Hawthorn Football Club
.
to the North Melbourne Football Club
, where he made his VFL
debut in 1987, kicking the winning goal after the siren in his first senior game for the Kangaroos
. He played mainly as a half-forward and stood at 171 cm, before moving into the midfield. In 1995, he was made Captain of the reserves side, with chances of senior selection unlikely due to the presence of midfielders such as Wayne Schwass
, Anthony Stevens
and Anthony Rock
. He played just 91 games with the Roos for 61 goals in his nine seasons there until '95. Clarkson is also remembered for a king-hit to Carlton player Ian Aitken in a AFL exhibition match in London, UK, that subsequently broke Aitken's jaw.
, Clarkson was drafted by the Melbourne Football Club
where he debuted in 1996. He was a solid player and averaged 23.5 disposals in his 22 games that year. He played a further 19 games in 1997, taking his tally with the Demons
to 41 games, before retiring at the end of the season.
in the VFL
, followed by roles at St Kilda and Central District where he was a Premiership coach in 2001. In 2003 he became the midfield coach at Port Adelaide and forward coach in 2004.
He was appointed his first senior AFL
coaching role at the Hawthorn Football Club
for the 2005 season, when the Hawks
appointed Clarkson to lead their rebuilding phase. While his side could only manage five wins in his debut season, finishing 14th, 2006 saw the side improve, winning their last four games in a row and taking them to 11th spot on the ladder. The Hawks continued to improve in 2007, winning 13 games and finishing fifth on the Premiership table. This took them into the finals, where they eliminated Adelaide in the Elimination Final, before being eliminated themselves in the Semi Final against North Melbourne
.
On 13 May 2008, the Hawthorn Football Club
announced that Clarkson had signed a contract until the end of 2011. In 2008 Clarkson took the Hawks to second place on the ladder in the home and away season, behind Geelong
, a team who lost only a single game during that period. After defeating the Western Bulldogs
and then St Kilda to qualify for the Grand Final, he then coached the Hawks to what many believed was impossible: a Grand Final win over the dominant 2008 Geelong Cats. The 2008 Premiership is the pinnacle of his career, completing a meteoric rise in his tenure as coach at Hawthorn, and in doing so, Clarkson became the only coach to ever lead his sides to a Premiership in both the AFL/VFL and the SANFL, in the well over 100 years existence of both leagues.
In the September 2009 round 22 game against Essendon
, Clarkson was fined $15,000 for confronting and threatening Matthew Lloyd
after Lloyd had flattened Hawthorn's Brad Sewell
and started a bench-clearing brawl 11 seconds into the third quarter, and abusing an interchange steward who attempted to intervene in the incident.
from Monash University
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er and current coach of the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
.
North Melbourne
Clarkson was recruited from Kaniva, VictoriaKaniva, Victoria
Kaniva is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway, north of Little Desert National Park, in the Shire of West Wimmera local government area. It is located roughly 25km east of the South Australian border and 43km east of Bordertown. At the 2006 census, Kaniva had a...
to the North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, where he made his VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
debut in 1987, kicking the winning goal after the siren in his first senior game for the Kangaroos
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
. He played mainly as a half-forward and stood at 171 cm, before moving into the midfield. In 1995, he was made Captain of the reserves side, with chances of senior selection unlikely due to the presence of midfielders such as Wayne Schwass
Wayne Schwass
Wayne Schwass was an Australian rules football player in the VFL/AFL who debuted in 1988.He is notable as one of only a few New Zealand-born players of Māori heritage in the history of the VFL/AFL....
, Anthony Stevens
Anthony Stevens
Anthony Stevens is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Kangaroos. He was named as ruck rover in the club's official 'Team of the Century'....
and Anthony Rock
Anthony Rock
Anthony Rock is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne and Hawthorn in the VFL/AFL.A midfielder from Hadfield, Rock debuted in the league during the 1988 season, playing with North Melbourne. He stayed with the club until 1999 when he moved to Hawthorn for his final...
. He played just 91 games with the Roos for 61 goals in his nine seasons there until '95. Clarkson is also remembered for a king-hit to Carlton player Ian Aitken in a AFL exhibition match in London, UK, that subsequently broke Aitken's jaw.
Move to Melbourne
With limited opportunity at the RoosNorth Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, Clarkson was drafted by the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
where he debuted in 1996. He was a solid player and averaged 23.5 disposals in his 22 games that year. He played a further 19 games in 1997, taking his tally with the Demons
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
to 41 games, before retiring at the end of the season.
Coaching career
Clarkson moved into coaching, first with WerribeeWerribee Football Club
The Werribee Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club, based in Werribee, was formed in 1965 and currently plays in the Victorian Football League. Werribee was defeated by the Sandringham Football Club in the 2005 VFL Grand Final.-History:The Werribee Football Club...
in the VFL
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
, followed by roles at St Kilda and Central District where he was a Premiership coach in 2001. In 2003 he became the midfield coach at Port Adelaide and forward coach in 2004.
He was appointed his first senior AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
coaching role at the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
for the 2005 season, when the Hawks
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
appointed Clarkson to lead their rebuilding phase. While his side could only manage five wins in his debut season, finishing 14th, 2006 saw the side improve, winning their last four games in a row and taking them to 11th spot on the ladder. The Hawks continued to improve in 2007, winning 13 games and finishing fifth on the Premiership table. This took them into the finals, where they eliminated Adelaide in the Elimination Final, before being eliminated themselves in the Semi Final against North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
.
On 13 May 2008, the Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
announced that Clarkson had signed a contract until the end of 2011. In 2008 Clarkson took the Hawks to second place on the ladder in the home and away season, behind Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
, a team who lost only a single game during that period. After defeating the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
and then St Kilda to qualify for the Grand Final, he then coached the Hawks to what many believed was impossible: a Grand Final win over the dominant 2008 Geelong Cats. The 2008 Premiership is the pinnacle of his career, completing a meteoric rise in his tenure as coach at Hawthorn, and in doing so, Clarkson became the only coach to ever lead his sides to a Premiership in both the AFL/VFL and the SANFL, in the well over 100 years existence of both leagues.
In the September 2009 round 22 game against Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
, Clarkson was fined $15,000 for confronting and threatening Matthew Lloyd
Matthew Lloyd
Matthew James Lloyd is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and was the captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League...
after Lloyd had flattened Hawthorn's Brad Sewell
Brad Sewell
Brad Sewell is an Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was selected with pick number 6 in the Rookie Draft in 2003...
and started a bench-clearing brawl 11 seconds into the third quarter, and abusing an interchange steward who attempted to intervene in the incident.
Personal life
Clarkson holds a Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
.