Mark Robinson: Suns not interested in Alastair Clarkson, but four clubs may be circling

Gold Coast players and staff love Stuart Dew. It’s why, as Mark Robinson writes, removing him as coach could set the club back even further — even if it’s for Alastair Clarkson.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 01: Stuart Dew, Senior Coach of the Suns addresses his players during the 2022 AFL Round 07 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Gold Coast Suns at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 01, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The theory that Alastair Clarkson will coach Gold Coast next year is quickly — and rightfully — losing its lustre.

If the Suns have their way, Stuart Dew will be offered a two-year extension before the season is over.

Where that leaves Clarkson in 2022 is another level of intrigue.

The Suns won’t publicly comment on Dew’s future because chairman Tony Cochrane and chief executive Mark Evans promised the coach they would not talk about his contract to keep the distraction of weekly sound bites away from a questioning media.

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Stuart Dew has led the rising Suns to a 4-5 record this season with more wins in store.

What they’d like to say, though, is that the players absolutely love Dew.

That after several seasons building a list and building trust and commitment within the playing group, and now finally building respect from the rest of the competition, they believe wholeheartedly in Dew.

There’s only two reasons why Dew won’t coach the Suns next year.

Firstly, if the current 4-5 Suns — which has them level on points with the Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and Collingwood — were to capitulate in the second half of the season and finish with, say, a 5-16 record, he’s kaput.

And secondly, if the AFL comes over top of club management and directs the club to sack Dew and install Clarkson.

If that happened, Cochrane would likely resign, maybe even Evans, and the harmony and synergy and energy being generated at that club would be disrupted.

That would be a power play from Gillon McLachlan and you’d have to wonder if that move was a legacy move for him above anything else.

McLachlan said on AFL360 earlier this year he would not interfere in the Suns coaching situation if not asked to and only last week said the league would not contribute any “ambassadorial’’ money to Clarkson if Clarkson ended up at the Suns.

We take him at face value.

Others in the industry say bulldust on both counts.

If the AFL did flex its muscle, Cochrane and Evans would need to ask themselves: What do we stand for as people?

Alastair Clarkson and Shaun Burgoyne leave the MCG for their last game with Hawthorn.

It’s one thing talking about support, growth and trust and it’s another thing to live it.

The players, meanwhile, absolutely would respect Clarkson, but Clarkson isn’t their man.

Dew is their man.

Football teams are built through a journey of living and learning and bettering oneself — and as a group — against the challenges thrown at them.

It’s the players and coach who live that journey and although it’s not often a coach survives a “rebuild’’, it’s obvious Dew and the players are building a future together.

Here is was what Matt Rowell had to say in the pre-season: “We have come too far with Dewey. And we know Dewey has belief in us and that’s a big thing.

“Personally, I have really loved playing for Dewey and we love how he coaches and also the person he is off the field.

“We just want to continue on this journey for him and keep improving.”

So, it’s highly unlikely Clarkson will be at the Gold Coast next year.

Even if they did want Clarkson, they can’t afford him. His price tag is probably $1 million-plus and Dew is on half of that.

Which leaves Clarkson where?

It was reported last week his manager James Henderson confirmed up to eight clubs had made contact with him about Clarkson’s future.

The Gold Coast Suns have been building a winning culture under Stuart Dew.

Giants boss David Matthews said after the club parted ways with Leon Cameron that they weren’t not one of the eight, and the Suns have assured Dew, according to Dew, they also aren’t one of the eight.

It’s curious who the eight clubs are.

Clarkson is not a fit for every club.

At a guess, if a club had to choose between their current coach and Clarkson, then Melbourne, Brisbane, Carlton, Geelong, Fremantle, Sydney and Richmond would keep their coach.

And Hawthorn has already made its decision which, to be curious, has never honestly been explained. At the end of the day, the Hawks sacked their four-time premiership coach.

St Kilda is on the rise, but anything could happen there with Brett Ratten out of contract. But, again, if the Saints play deep into September, it would be a brave decision to oust the coach.

Ken Hinkley has another year at Port Adelaide, and Clarkson has ruled out building a list — so that cuts out Adelaide and North Melbourne — and you would not think Collingwood would dump Craig McRae after one season.

That leaves Luke Beveridge at the Bulldogs which is highly unlikely but not totally improbable, the struggling Bombers under Ben Rutten and West Coast under Adam Simpson, who just might say he’s had enough.

Alastair Clarkson and Stuart Dew were part of Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership.

At the moment, Clarkson has one club to choose from — the Giants.

If others end up in the market, they need to decide if they want a dictator-type coach, anyhow. That’s not a criticism, that’s an observation of a strong-willed and successful coach who likes things done his way.

Clarkson is called a genius by friends in the media, but in fact he’s not. He hasn’t solved cancer. He is a great football coach, a legend even, who knows how to win flags and who is now looking for a second home.

It’s happened before. Albeit in different times, Ron Barassi, John Kennedy, Denis Pagan and, more recently, Mick Malthouse were all considered geniuses on different levels and they couldn’t make a fist of it at their second clubs and, in some cases, their third clubs.

Leigh Matthews did — at Brisbane after coaching Collingwood to a flag — and he doesn’t subscribe to the genius thingy.

In fact, he laughs because he says he was a great coach when he had great players.

What we do know is the narrative surrounding Clarkson to the Suns in 2022 is faltering at Round 10.

Who would’ve ever have thought the Suns would choose Dew over Clarkson, but it’s happening — without Ben King.

Originally published as Mark Robinson: Suns not interested in Alastair Clarkson, but four clubs may be circling