Lance Franklin details his special bond with former coach Alastair Clarkson ahead of 300th game

Imagine having your coach just wander into your house to say “g’day”. That’s Alastair Clarkson’s style and an insight into why the Hawthorn coach has four flags and sits among the greats of the game.

Master motivator, regular home visitor.

Lance Franklin has revealed some of skills which have helped make Alastair Clarkson a coaching great.

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In an interview with David King to air on Fox Footy tonight, Franklin said Clarkson would often turn up unannounced at his Melbourne home during his nine-year stint with the Hawks.

“He (Clarkson) is one of the smartest coaches you’ll get and a legend of the AFL,” Franklin said.

“He’d rock up to my house a fair bit, knock on the door. Sometimes not even knock, just walk straight through.

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“Probably to check up on me (laughs) … just to have a chat, which was really good. No beers.

“One thing I will say about him, he’s a really good man, a family man.

“He always looks after his players and will go into bat for them. That’s a great trait.

“If you do that for your players, they’ll play for you.”

Lance Franklin and Alastair Clarkson share a special bond, even after his move to Sydney.

Franklin, who will play his 300th AFL game this Saturday when Sydney hosts St Kilda, said four-time premiership coach Clarkson used Hawthorn’s three-point preliminary final loss to Collingwood in 2011 to help propel the club to one of its greatest periods.

“We still had a really good year. We got to a prelim and got beaten by Collingwood by a few points,” Franklin said.

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“We felt that year was one that got away from us. We had a really good season but fell short.

“I just remember that was the year Alastair Clarkson made all the players go to the Grand Final and watch it together after losing the prelim final by a couple of points.

Alastair Clarkson and Lance Franklin share a hug after a Hawthorn-Sydney game. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

“He did things like that. And look what happened. Guys never forget … those guys go on to play in four Grand Finals in a row.

“There’s little things like that smart coaches do to motivate players to never lose a prelim again. He did things like that.”

ON THE MARK, FOX FOOTY, TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY) 8.30PM.

Originally published as Lance Franklin details his special bond with former coach Alastair Clarkson ahead of 300th game