AFL 2020: Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson under pump after Melbourne loss
Hawthorn has given a lifeless performance on the day coach Alastair Clarkson’s future was put on the chopping block by the club’s president.
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Hawthorn has become the second ugliest team in football after being “smacked” by Melbourne in Sydney on Sunday.
The club’s 43-point mauling at Giants Stadium came on the same day it emerged that Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett had put coach Alastair Clarkson’s future on the agenda with a public declaration.
Hawks players were given a half time serve by Clarkson, but still fell away in the second half in a 14.7 (91) to 7.6 (48) thumping.
It prompted footy legend Jonathan brown to declare that North Melbourne is the only team that is harder to watch than the Hawks this season.
“Hawthorn are unwatchable at the moment,” Brown said on Fox Footy at half-time.
He said after the full time siren: “They’re as low as they’ve been for a while”.
It came as Hawks legend Dermott Brereton also declared the club needs major surgery after losing the ability to move the ball out of is defensive fifty.
Clarkson admitted at half time his team had been “smacked” around the ball after Channel 7’s Jude Bolton reported the veteran coach gave a spray that could be heard outside of the club’s dressing rooms.
Clarko isn't happy with Hawthorn's endeavour.#AFLHawksDees pic.twitter.com/Xj7Z8wEovN
— 7AFL (@7AFL) July 19, 2020
The Hawks now appear in desperate need of a rebuild and it has prompted widespread speculation about whether the master coach is the right man to take the Hawks down and up again.
Kennett suggested to 3AW Radio on Saturday that Clarkson will at least see out the remainder of his contract through to the end of the 2022 season — but all bets are off beyond that season.
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There's a lot of discussion and speculation about Alastair Clarkson's future, but now, Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett has hinted at a potential exit date.#9AFLSFS | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/c4RmzIHwIK
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) July 19, 2020
“Clarko will now when he’s ready to move on as well,” he said.
“So it’s not just a Hawthorn board decision.
“We won’t be sacking Clarko. Clarko won’t be sacking us. When the time comes he and we will come to a mutually agreed position and I think that would be at the end of his contract.”
Clarkson responded to Kennett’s comments on Sunday in his post match press conference.
“I didn’t even know he’d said anything. We’ll work our way through that - hopefully it’s a little way off yet,” Clarkson said.
Originally published as AFL 2020: Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson under pump after Melbourne loss