AFL Hawthorn v Brisbane: Alastair Clarkson masterminds big Hawks’ upset

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has taken aim at Hawthorn’s handling of Alastair Clarkson after his former boss masterminded a huge upset win in Launceston.

Adam Smith

@ajsmiddy

5 min read

August 2, 2021 - 5:28AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Alastair Clarkson and Sam Mitchell on the sidelines.

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Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has lashed his former club over its handling of Alastair Clarkson after watching the embattled Hawks punish his Lions in Launceston.

Fagan — who worked alongside Clarkson as Hawthorn’s general manager of football operations during its golden era — said four-time premiership coach Clarkson deserved to end his tenure with more “dignity” after the club’s succession plan sensationally fell apart on Friday.

Despite the dramatic backflip, which came amid suggestions the playing group was confused over mixed messages, the side rallied to produce one of its best performances of the year to hold off a fast finishing Brisbane.

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Clarkson praised his troops for standing up in the furnace after their club had been “bashed” in the press, and had an ally in Fagan, who admitted his surprise of watching the drama unfold.

“He is a man I have enormous respect for… sad to see that he won’t be coaching Hawthorn past this year,” said Fagan, who left the Hawks to take the reins at Brisbane in 2016.

“It’s an interesting situation they find themselves in. I would have thought of all the coaches in the AFL, the one guy that might have had the opportunity to go out on his terms, with a little bit of dignity, would have been ‘Clarko’.

“But it seems from a distance that hasn’t been the case.

“It just seems to me it could have happened in a better way.”

Alastair Clarkson celebrates with Ben McEvoy after the Hawks toppled the Lions.

The Hawks produced some inspired football to lead by 53 points at the final change, and survived a flurry from the visitors in the fourth quarter to cling onto a 12-point win.

Clarkson couldn’t have been prouder of his group for standing tall when it mattered.

“We’ve been in the news a fair bit in the last three or four games, it’s hard to know but I think the players were mindful of the fact that our club has been bashed a little bit in the press over the last little while,” Clarkson said.

“They’re the first bunch of guys that can pull on the jumper and show the football world, and certainly our supporters back home, that this club has got some heart, it has always had some heart.

“You can’t be on top of the ladder all the time, we’ll find a way to get ourselves back there, but just at the minute we need to show our supporters that pulling on the brown and gold really meant something.

“It’s been a tough period of time for our footy club but… as we’ve indicated during the week we are all temporary custodians, whether you are players, coaches, administrators, board members of the club.

“We all pitch in and do our best for the club when it’s our turn to roll the sleeves up and help out.

“It’s been a great journey that I’ve been on at this footy club but the time’s right to pass the baton on to Mitch and allow some fresh air for the next wave and the next chapter of success at our club.”

CLARKO’S STILL GOT IT: HAWKS BLOW TIGERS AWAY

Hawthorn has put a tumultuous 48 hours in the rear-view mirror to deliver a dagger to Brisbane’s top-four hopes.

Just two days after the Hawks’ coaching succession plan was blown apart and the club was heavily scrutinised, master coach Alastair Clarkson engineered one of side’s best performances of a disappointing 2021 season in Launceston.

The hosts stunned the Lions 14.8 (92) to 12.8 (80) to climb four points clear of last-placed North Melbourne, while also landing a major blow on the visitors, who have now dropped three of their past four matches.

Brisbane produced a late flurry, kicking eight goals to one in the last quarter to send a massive scare through the Hawks, who stumbled across the line.

The victory was orchestrated via a blistering first quarter, when the Hawks jumped the Lions in kicking 4.3 to 0.1.

It wasn’t just the scoreboard impact but the method, with 75 per cent of the play unfolding in Hawthorn’s forward half as it finished the term with 20 inside-50s to five.

Mitch Robinson is upended by Tim O’Brien.

Brisbane finally got on the board at the five-minute mark of the second stanza through club debutant Nakia Cockatoo in his first AFL match in 1211 days, and had stemmed the bleeding by the long break.

However, the Hawks found another gear in the third term with the likes of Jaeger O’Meara (35 disposals), Tom Mitchell (34), the electric Chad Wingard (32 and two goals) running riot in the middle.

Connor Nash (23 and a team-high seven clearances) also played arguably his best game in the brown and gold.

The margin had ballooned to 53 points at the final change before the late Lions charge came up short.

The only sour note in Hawthorn’s performance was a knee injury to Luke Breust, who was subbed out during the third term having been among the Hawks better players with three goals and eight score involvements.

Jarryd Lyons starred for Brisbane with 34 disposals (19 contested) and a goal.

CROWING COCKATOO

Nakia Cockatoo has had to wait longer than anyone else to return to AFL level and he made sure he made an impact on his Lions debut. After being an unused substitute last week, the 24-year-old finally got to take to the field, 1211 days since his last AFL match — the longest streak of any active player. Cockatoo kicked Brisbane’s first goal of the contest five minutes into the second term, sparking celebrations from his teammates.

James Worpel and Dylan Moore celebrate a Hawthorn goal.

WINGARD WIZADRY

Chad Wingard is fast taking ownership of the left forward pocket at the city end of UTAS Stadium. Wingard, who slotted two majors earlier in the year against North Melbourne from the area, was again at his incredible best in the first quarter when he nailed a left-foot banana from 25m, having quickly recovered from being knocked to the ground only seconds earlier. He then converted a tight set shot from a similar spot to open proceedings in the third term.

UNHAPPY HOMECOMING

Grant Birchall is no stranger to UTAS Stadium, but for the first time in his career found himself in different changerooms at the venue. The Tasmanian with the laser left boot appeared in 40 of his 248 games for Hawthorn in Launceston, but was playing his first as a Lion against his former club.