AFL news: Sam Mitchell and Alastair Clarkson press conferences

Alastair Clarkson says he caught up with one old friend from the Hawks after the game, but it wasn’t Sam Mitchell who was celebrating his club’s first win of 2023. See what both coaches said.

Alastair Clarkson. Picture: Getty Images

Sam Mitchell knows it’s been a draining week.

But the Hawthorn coach was proud of the resolve his team showed after a week when the club was constantly on the front and back pages.

Mitchell’s first clash with North Melbourne coach and his former Hawks mentor, Alastair Clarkson, fuelled plenty of hype.

It meant the Hawks’ ability to ward off a second half surge from North Melbourne, to cling on and seal their first win of the year in Launceston on Saturday was one of his more satisfying wins.

Sam Mitchell and Hawthorn got their first win of 2023. Picture: Getty Images

I’m really proud of the resilience of the group, not just across the two hours of the game but across the week,” he said.

“We had a tough week and people thought we’d perhaps never win a game ever again. The players deserve reward for effort and they got that today.

“It would have been easy (as the Kangaroos whittled down a 31-point deficit) to say it’s not going to be our day, but they continued to play the right way and continue to do the things that got us the score to win.

“It (the week) was a little bit different but it’s actually easier inside the four walls of a football club.

“The thing about the tough week off field is it doesn’t change our internal systems and the standard we hold each other to.

“Being able to get together and not lean on too many outside the four walls, sometimes it does solidify your group.”

Asked if it was a good week to see the back of given the hype, Clarkson said: “Only because it’s something that’s driven by the environment outside your footy club.

“In our footy club we didn’t mention it. It’s a spectacular thing for everyone else outside the club but for us, outside of saying we’re playing Hawthorn this week, it’s no different to this week when we’re playing Carlton.”

Alastair Clarkson talks to his players during the Roos loss. Picture: Getty Images

Asked if he had interactions with his former Hawks players after the game, Clarkson indicated he let Hawthorn savour their breakthrough victory.

“Given it was their first win they were more interested in giving themselves a pat on the back, and rightly so. They played some good footy,” Clarkson said.

“I caught up with Luke Breust but it was about letting Hawthorn celebrate their victory and not many are interested in the losers, which we were today.”

Clarkson said prime move Luke Davies-Uniacke could have played at a pinch after he was a late withdrawal with calf tightness, but said the club is playing the ‘long game’.

His absence, combined with the suspension of co-captain Jy Simpkin, proved too big a barrier to overcome.

“We didn’t quite get there but it was pleasing to get back into the game when it looked like it would be Hawthorn by how far,” Clarkson said.

“To their credit they were really strong around the ball and we weren’t quite at our best in that space.

We lost LDU who’s a pretty pivotal player for us. Two pretty good players (along with Simpkin) we need out on the park just for their leadership and guidance.

“We just didn’t cover them as well perhaps as we would have liked.

“It’s tough (to take) when he (Davies-Uniacke) been best on ground first two weeks of the season, but it ended up being an easy call.”