Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett defends coach Alastair Clarkson amid criticism from ex-Hawk greats
Hawthorn has been labelled too boring and too old. Critics say they don’t play with enough dare, use too many short and sideways kicks and have a reluctance to play on. But are the Hawks concerned?
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In rare air, Alastair Clarkson finds himself on top of the agenda.
The best coach of the past 15 years is being questioned about … well, his coaching.
His side is too boring. Too old.
They don’t play with enough dare — too many short and sideways kicks.
They have a reluctance to play on. And he is being questioned about team selection.
As a result, there is now a query on whether he is the man to rebuild the Hawks.
Frustration abounds among the Hawks faithful and among former premiership greats.
Dermott Brereton said on Fox Footy on Saturday that the Hawks had played non-threatening football the night before.
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It was a small smack at Clarkson. Shane Crawford implored Clarkson to speed up ball movement.
“It‘s like a game of keepings off and I’m going to switch off if that’s going to be the case,” Crawford said on Channel 9.
“Come on, Mr Clarkson, great man that he is, spark them up a bit. Go direct, take the game on, be bold and be brave.”
It was a decent crack at Clarkson’s coaching.
Jordan Lewis wondered if Clarkson had the “energy” to rebuild the club and queried the club’s inconsistency and even selection.
“You’ve got to look at the inconsistencies of the season and their best players right now are Isaac Smith who’s 31 and I still think he’s got a few years left in him, you can’t keep rolling out the same players,” Lewis told SEN Radio.
It was another decent crack at Clarkson’s coaching.
The Hawks are 3-3 win-loss and have lost to Geelong, GWS and Collingwood.
Among them was a “dreadful” performance against North Melbourne which they narrowly won.
Let’s agree, none of the former greats are wrong.
The Hawks are playing ordinary football, albeit against some top-end teams, but ordinary football all the same.
And now the four-time premiership coach, who has been accused of having a bat-phone to office of the AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, is under pressure.
Not for his job — that’s preposterous thinking — but certainly his coaching strategy.
Hawks president, Jeff Kennett, is not panicking. He dismissed the critics on Monday.
“When you’ve had two games like we have had, it’s very easy for people to question Clarko publicly, but the reality is those who question should know how Hawthorn operates,’’ he said.
“And what we tend to do is circle the wagons, protect each other, we know what the game plan is and we have confidence in each other.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion in a world of free speech, but neither of them (Lewis and Crawford) are associated with the club today, so they are commentators.
“We have absolute confidence in Clarko, there has been no discussions whatsoever about his contract, which we expect him to complete in two or three years’ time (end of 2022).
“I have extraordinary confidence in Graham Wright who is our football manager and who headed our recruiting division.
“Therefore, as we talk today, it’s all right for those who have played the game and moved on and are not associated with Hawthorn, to make comments but I can assure you it’s not the way Hawthorn are thinking.
Does Clarko have the 'energy' for a full rebuild?
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“We are only six games into the season.
“Our first focus is to get our team and staff through the year of disruption, believing the football department is doing what is necessary to make us competitive.
“The past two weeks we haven’t been competitive and I will be watching with great interest this weekend.
“We’re not unnerved, put it that way. I’m not losing any sleep.”
Still, Kennett has not liked what the team has offered up against the Giants and then Collingwood.
He said the Hawks were still in the mix, but “we have to stir the mix a bit in the next few weeks”.
“It’s a time of cool heads, we’re not in a position to make any dramatic change, whatsoever,’’ he said.
Asked about Clarkson’s game plan, Kennett detailed how the coach and the football boss fronted the board every month.
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“Clarko is questioned,’’ he said.
“It’s not as though he has unfettered rein, he doesn’t have that.”
So, what is the game plan?
“I’m not going to give it to you piecemeal,’’ he said.
“All I will say is we sit or stand as one, we are a structured, collegiate club and have confidence in each other.
He added: “This is not the time for getting overly excited, just to stick to your knitting and hopefully see an improvement this week.”
The Hawks play Melbourne at Giants Stadium on Sunday, starting at 3.35pm.
Originally published as Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett defends coach Alastair Clarkson amid criticism from ex-Hawk greats