Alastair Clarkson’s decision to revamp Hawthorn’s list at the end of 2016, the bravest in AFL

THERE has never been a braver list management decision than when Alistair Clarkson decided what he wanted for Hawthorn at the end of the 2016 season, writes MATTHEW LLOYD.

Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

THERE has never been a braver list management decision than when Alistair Clarkson decided what he wanted for Hawthorn at the end of the 2016 season.

After bowing out of the finals in straight sets, Clarkson came to the realisation that his best-and-fairest winner of that year Sam Mitchell, and the runner-up Jordan Lewis, would not play in Hawthorn’s next premiership side.

Action was needed and Clarkson did not want to sit on his hands, that is not in his nature.

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In Clarkson’s sights at the time were Sydney’s Tom Mitchell and Gold Coast Sun Jaeger O’Meara, aged 23 and 24 respectively.

As badly as Clarkson wanted Mitchell and O’Meara, the four-time premiership winning champions were still Hawthorn’s best two players and they needed to be treated with the utmost respect for all they had achieved at Hawthorn.

Seventeen other coaches would not have had the courage or conviction to even raise the idea with players of that ilk about playing with another club in 2017.

Alastair Clarkson sings the song with Jordan Lewis, Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell.

It was just unfathomable at the time — to all except Clarkson and his list manager Graham Wright.

I was doing radio with Kane Cornes at the time of the story broke and we were in total shock.

It’s fair to say it was seen very negatively by most people in football, most notably by the

Hawthorn faithful who thought Clarkson was showing a lack of respect to his loyal servants.

Some simply thought Clarkson had lost his marbles.

Luke Hodge went on for another year but was told that 2017 would be his last at Hawthorn, in order for games to be given to youth.

Clarkson is not at Hawthorn for the history and the romance of the game, he rightly sees his role as doing what he believes is in the best interests of the Hawthorn Football Club.

I’ll say it again, I don’t believe there has ever been gutsier list management decisions than those involving S.Mitchell, J.Lewis and L.Hodge.

Could you imagine how Clarkson felt making the call to Mitchell and Lewis to let them know that he couldn’t guarantee them anything after 2017, so it may be best to seek longevity elsewhere?

Sam Mitchell in action for West Coast.

Jordan Lewis in action for Melbourne. Picture: Michael Klein

Lewis would have believed he was going to be the next Hawthorn captain, not the next player to be told to explore his options.

While it was hard to believe at the time, with the benefit of hindsight, Clarkson pulled the right rein.

Clarkson would have made those decisions with the knowledge that it would weaken Hawthorn significantly in 2017.

But he had to fast-track the development of his younger players by giving them opportunities at the top level.

Eighteen months on from those decisions, Sam Mitchell has retired, while Lewis or Hodge will not come back to hurt Hawthorn with their on-field performance.

Clarkson knew his players better than anyone.

Jaeger O’Meara in action for Hawthorn.

Reigning best-and-fairest Tom Mitchell.

It’s a brutal game this AFL caper.

As for the inclusions, O’Meara is getting better with every game he plays while Mitchell is currently the most in-form and damaging midfielder in the AFL.

It’s easy to forget but Hawthorn were 3-9 halfway through last season.

Among the losses were a 14-goal shading by the Suns in Round 3, a 14-goal belting by

Geelong in Round 4 and a 12-goal debacle against St Kilda in Round 6.

It was ugly stuff which would have had Clarkson questioning himself as to whether he was the right person to continue with this rebuild.

I believed he had to be after making such strong list decisions on brilliant servants of the club the previous off season.

Ross Lyon calls it restumping rather than a rebuild, but what a transformation Clarkson has made to this playing group at Hawthorn since the bye last year — they’ve won eight of 12 games played since the middle of last year.

Clarkson has an ability to adapt to the trends of the game better than anyone and the 2018 Hawks look so organised when they don’t have the ball yet so dynamic when they do have it.

Alastair Clarkson celebrates the win over Geelong with Liam Shiels and Tom Mitchell.

Hawthorn have been the envy of the competition due to their premiership success in recent years and now opposition supporters are scratching their heads again.

Just how could they rebound so quickly, after just one lean year?

This is no bad dream for the other 17 clubs. The resurrection of Hawthorn is well and truly alive.

Richmond on the rebound will give an even greater indication of just how far Hawthorn have come as Clarkson moves his next chess piece in his quest for a fifth premiership.

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