Fox Footy Jury: Can Alastair Clarkson rebuild Hawthorn and should North Melbourne move?
It is one of the hottest debates in football. If Tasmania is to get its own AFL team, should it be a new franchise or through relocation of another club? AFL great Matthew Pavlich knows exactly how he would handle it.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
After a big Round 7 of football, we hit some Fox Footy experts with some curly questions.
Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett had a bit to say about Alastair Clarkson’s future on the weekend, after four-time premiership player Jordan Lewis last week questioned if Clarkson had the “energy” to complete a rebuild.
Port Adelaide’s Robbie Gray kicked truly after the siren on Sunday to sink Carlton, but is there a better clutch kick in the competition?
And as North Melbourne prepares to hub up in Tasmania, should the Kangaroos move there permanently?
One expert thinks so.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Watch every match of every round Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Should Jeff Kennett and Alastair Clarkon both go, and hand over a rebuild at Hawthorn?
Gerard Healy
1988 Brownlow medallist
No and no. I think what Clarko will be most concerned about is the immediacy of the issue and that is, why are they playing so poorly? Four weeks ago they played a scintillating brand of football to destroy Richmond and in Round 1 they played a similar, fast, hard-running brand of football to beat the current premiership favourite Brisbane. Age had not become a factor in the space of four months. The rebuilding process is ever ongoing and Clarko knows that better than anyway.
Matthew Pavlich
Former Fremantle captain
The short answer is no. They’ve been there before and they know what to do. The longer, more complex answer is there’s some issues the Hawks have to work through with their list and how they transition back to becoming a powerful side. That sits more with list management than president or coaching issues. Clearly those two people have impact over that, but they’re not solely responsible.
David King
Dual North Melbourne premiership player
If Jeff Kennett and Alastair Clarkson feel that’s the best move for Hawthorn, then they’ll both make those arrangements. Jeff’s been great for Hawthorn and so to has Alastair and they’ve always put the needs of the club over their own needs. I see no reason to be rushing on either decision. They might be about to embark upon a four-or-five year rebuild, but who else would you rather have with their hands on the wheel?
Would you have Robbie Gray kicking at goal for your life, or is there someone even better out there?
GH: Based on current form, I’m taking Robbie Gray. It gave everyone in our household sitting around the loungeroom a magic moment on Sunday.
MP: I don’t really want anyone kicking for my life, but that was an amazing finish from Robbie Gray on Sunday. I think Michael Walters would be up there, though, having played with him and led to him for years. Over the past few years, with his ability to deliver in clutch moments, Sonny would certainly be up there.
DK: David Mundy is one that springs to mind and Michael Walters has been exposed to it and had ice running through the veins. But Robbie Gray’s a star. All in all I thought Robbie Gray enjoyed the moment. Others shy away, but it looked like he thrived.
Is it time North Melbourne was relocated permanently to Tasmania?
GH: Changing home ground won’t change the fortunes of the Kangaroos at the moment. So, no, I think they just need to focus on what’s going on at Arden St right now. What’s been forgotten is the depth of injury to key personnel, which has impacted on the way they play. The result has been them playing too congested a brand of football and then getting shut down and going too slow into a congested forward line.
MP: If the AFL and some of the Melbourne teams actually had a bit more foresight, 10 years ago this should have happened. I love the fact that the competition did start in Melbourne, but if we want to make this truly national and, potentially in the future an international showcase, then I think extricating some teams out of Melbourne needs to happen. As hard as that is for North Melbourne fans to hear, Sydney’s done it well from South Melbourne, Brisbane from Fitzroy has overwhelmingly been a success. There’s heartache and challenge there, but it needs to happen. I’m not sure if more teams is better. We’ve got enough teams. Eighteen teams in a population of 25 million is pretty significant, I would have thought.
DK: This is a constant conversation that comes up about North Melbourne. Pre-Covid, I think you’ll find financially they’ve never been in a better position than what they were at the start of 2020. On-field there is some work to do, no doubt about that. Hence, there’s been a recent coaching change and a number of off-field positions have been changed also. Give these guys a chance. We knew it was going to be bumpy, but I certainly think these guys will right the ship.
MORE AFL NEWS:
Boxing, footy communities aware of Shane Tuck’s private torment
AFL putting finishing touches on compressed fixture plan
The Tackle: Mark Robinson names his Round 7 likes and dislikes
Alastair Clarkson says changes in the wind to personnel for Hawks but draft might not be way back
Originally published as Fox Footy Jury: Can Alastair Clarkson rebuild Hawthorn and should North Melbourne move?