Mark Robinson on Alastair Clarkson’s comment to Channel 9 journalist

Mark Robinson says the AFL’s silence on Alastair Clarkson’s threatening comment to a journalist is “pathetic” and condones behaviour which should never be accepted. Read his take.

Alastair Clarkson.

Alastair Clarkson is a bully.

And the AFL is weak, yet again.

And why didn’t North Melbourne, which espouses itself as the community club, issue any sort of condemnation of their senior coach?

It’s OK to say it’s not OK.

Clarkson is old-school. He has a temper which he believes is part of football. His excuse this time for using threatening language towards a female reporter, accompanied by that fearsome Clarkson stare down no doubt, was that he always protects his players.

The old schoolers in the media, who would never criticise Clarkson, might argue that that protective mechanism Clarkson has is one of the reasons he’s an all-time great.

He’s a galvaniser. A leader. A warrior general.

On a different front, he is just a bully.

He’s employed to talk to his players however he chooses, but he hasn’t the right to menace anyone else, in this case someone doing their job and asking questions.

Alastair Clarkson.

No one barracks for the media, but that’s not the point. People should barrack for some level of respect.

Clarkson gave the reporter none.

His player, Tarryn Thomas, is stood down for allegedly threatening females, the exact reason the reporter was at training in the first place.

Clearly, the footy bubble can be an unhealthy place.

Clarkson apologised. And good on him. But the issue is why he found himself in the predicament in the first place? Why go at a female reporter?

His gnarly personality rides shotgun to a brilliant footy mind. He is also often a brilliant contributor to the community with his generosity of time and commitment.

He let himself down on this occasion.

But because it’s Clarkson, the footy world tiptoes around his misdemeanours.

The AFL holds fans to account more than their highest office holders, like Eddie McGuire not being punished for King Kong and Jeff Kennett not being punished for racial comments towards the aisle walkers at Marvel.

Alastair Clarkson during match simulation involving North Melbourne and Richmond.

They were both club presidents.

On Thursday, the league had an opportunity to lead. They should’ve slapped Clarkson with a code of conduct fail and at least said something.

But they said nothing.

Just pathetic, really. Are they scared of Clarkson?

He is a good man, Clarkson, but he is not God, and Gillon McLachlan and Andrew Dillon, the two bosses at AFL, shouldn’t treat him like one.

Just the other day, I was talking about the excitement surrounding our coaches. Ross Lyon was back, Clarkson was at North Melbourne, Brad Scott and Michael Voss were at new clubs, the joy of Craig McRae, the flag for Chris Scott …

And then Clarkson swiftly reminds us that coaches – not all of them – are wired differently.

Football is kill or be killed for him. And whatever collateral damage is caused along the way, then bad luck.

Some people have said the words Clarkson used – your time will come, or something like that – was just coach-media banter and that the response from Channel 9 was woke rubbish.

Why is it woke to take a stand when a person feels threatened?

Why is Clarkson using such language to a civilian? Why did he feel the need to apologise if it was typical banter?

Mick Malthouse was another gnarly coach with the media. David Parkin could strangle you with his neck vein. And Denis Pagan could be ferocious with his reasoning. But they were old-schoolers.

The world has changed.

Clarkson has to change with it and so, too, does the AFL.

This was completely unacceptable and an apology wasn’t nearly enough.

The silence from the AFL almost condones the behaviour.

Originally published as Mark Robinson on Alastair Clarkson’s comment to Channel 9 journalist