Alastair Clarkson’s manager responds to latest coaching speculation

The coaching rumour mill was in overdrive across the weekend with suggestions Alastair Clarkson was already plotting his return. Now his management has weighed in.

Alastair Clarkson’s sole focus is the establishment of a new Tasmanian AFL team with his manager denying he had been in contact with any of the existing 18 clubs this year.

Clarkson will be the hottest property in football this year as a four-time premiership coach who is available should any number of clubs decide to move on their coach.

The rumour mill started over the weekend that again linked him to Gold Coast with former Port Adelaide player Tom Rockliff also suggesting he was calling players telling them not to re-sign with existing clubs.

But his manager James Henderson told the Herald Sun Clarkson had a laser focus on his six-month contract as an adviser to the Tasmanian taskforce.

The league’s clubs will make a decision on recommending that team or rebuffing its proposal by the end of the season.

Stream every match of the 2022 NAB AFLW Season Live & On-Demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.

Alastair Clarkson finished with Hawthorn at the end of last season. Picture: Getty Images

Henderson laughed off suggestions Clarkson had spoken to any clubs about 2023 opportunities.

Inevitably as clubs struggle they will begin to approach Clarkson with overtures but Gold Coast’s Dew is a friend who the Hawks coach brought in to help win the 2008 premiership.

“We haven’t spoken to any clubs. I don’t know where that’s come from. It’s pretty simple.

Tasmania is his absolute focus, he is down in Tasmania later this week and he met with us for a few days last week with the taskforce,” Henderson said.

“He came back from the US with a number of ideas around many elements of the club from high performance to the stadium all the way through to potential membership models. His core function is to create a vision for how Tasmania accelerates its own pathways and produces more players.”

Clarkson said last year it was a “no-brainer” for Tasmania to have its own team and even said he would have an interest in coaching the new side.

“It depends where I’m at and what I’m doing at that point in time, but yeah, without a doubt,” Clarkson said on Friday.

Alastair Clarkson is working on the establishment of a new Tasmanian AFL team. Picture: Getty Images

“If I was unemployed like I am now, I’d be putting my hand up big time to be involved in such an exciting venture.

“I think it’s a no-brainer for the AFL competition and it’s a no-brainer for Tassie to roll their sleeves up and get behind it.”

Hawthorn are handing Clarkson around $900,000 of his existing contract but they are allowed to pay it over two seasons and they will pay little or no football department tax on the wage.

COACHES BEWARE: PORT GUN’S BIG CALL ON CLARKO RETURN

Simeon Thomas-Wilson

Former Port Adelaide and Brisbane star Tom Rockliff says Alastair Clarkson has been contacting upcoming free agents and telling them he is going to return to coaching in 2023.

The four-time premiership-winning coach at Hawthorn is taking a year off coaching after he departed the Hawks at the end of 2021.

Clarkson is still being paid by Hawthorn this year even though he isn’t coaching.

Rockliff, who ended his 208 game career with the Lions and then Power last year, said the legendary coach was set to return in 2023.

Former Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson at Stanford University in California.

“There’s a high profile ex-AFL coach who’s recently out of the game, has been calling a few free agents directly telling them not to re-sign because I will be coaching next year,” he said on Triple M.

Clarkson, 53, has been in America on his year off and Rockliff said he expected him to return to footy next year.

“Alastair Clarkson has been making phone calls,” he said.

“That is the mail that I’ve heard … I’m not sure which club, I don’t know if he’s said which club he’s going to.”

Tom Rockliff, who retired from the AFL in 2021, says the rumour going around is that Clarkson is going to return in 2023. Picture: Tom Huntley

After Carlton and Collingwood were rebuffed by the master coach Clarkson has been heavily linked to the Gold Coast, where former charge Stuart Dew is coaching.

St Kilda’s Brett Ratten is out of contract at the end of this season, but he has said he is comfortable being unsigned at this stage.

Clarkson has signed as an advisor for the task force trying to get Tasmania an AFL team.

He said he would love to be the inaugural coach for the state, but Rockliff said when Tasmania could enter the league would be too far away for him.

Originally published as Alastair Clarkson’s manager responds to latest coaching speculation