North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson in ugly drama as incident revealed
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson allegedly used an ugly slur during a confrontation with rival St Kilda players.
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Alastair Clarkson allegedly used an ugly slur during a confrontation with St Kilda players on Sunday.
The North Melbourne coach on Monday morning issued a public apology after he reportedly
clashed with Saints stars during the quarter-time break of St Kilda’s win at RSEA Park.
The Hawthorn legend is reported to have confronted St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster after he wiped out Jy Simpkin in a sickening hit.
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Simpkin, who has a history of concussion issues, had just kicked the ball on the boundary line when Webster jumped from the ground and collected the midfielder with the full force of his body and tucked elbow.
The incident sparked a melee between the teams and Simpkin required medical attention before being helped from the ground.
Now AFL journalist Tom Morris has reported Clarkson swore at Webster and told him to prepare for a long period on the sidelines.
The AFL is yet to announce its match review results from the weekend’s community series matches, but Webster’s case is expected to be referred directly to a tribunal hearing.
Morris described the incident as an “ugly verbal altercation” on Twitter.
According to the report, St Kilda’s Dougall Howard responded to Clarkson’s comment before the premiership-winning coach exchanged words with several St Kilda players.
Clarkson is reported to have used the term “c***sucker” in an offensive slur.
As first reported by Channel 9, Clarkson has issued an apology.
“I was deeply disturbed seeing our captain Jy Simpkin forced from the field as a result of a heavy collision just before quarter time,” Clarkson told 9News.
“Jy has had a great pre-season and has now had three concussions in 12 months and I was so disappointed to see him leave the field in that way.
“At the quarter-time break, I voiced my displeasure to St Kilda players Jimmy Webster and Dougal Howard as they made their way to the quarter time huddle.
“This was an exchange that was emotional in defence of our captain, but unnecessary and the language I used was inappropriate.
“I have reached out to Ross Lyon and both the St Kilda players to apologise.
It is the second serious pre-season incident Clarkson has been involved in since signing his record contract with the Kangaroos, having last year apologised for how he spoke to a female journalist.
That incident occurred when Clarkson was holding an on-field media press conference to address allegations made against Tarryn Thomas in February, 2023.
According to reports, the Kangaroos coach told Channel 9 journalist Elisabeth Moss “your time will come”.
Nine news director Hugh Nailon said the young reporter had felt “threatened” by her interaction with Clarkson.
Meanwhile, tempers are still running hot after Webster’s hit on Simpkin.
The response has been swift and damning for 30-year-old Webster, who has played 133 games for the Saints since making his debut back in 2012.
“Ten weeks. Simple as that,” ex-Roos star and Fox Footy commentator David King wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“I just hope Jy Simpkin is OK. Just so unnecessary. I hope we aren’t still having this conversation anymore in ‘24.”
Many others felt a spell of at least six weeks is required for the veteran defender.
Hawthorn premiership great Jordan Lewis has called for the extra penalty to be handed to Webster.
Amid calls for a ban as long as 10 games, Lewis said eight was enough but called for the financial impost on top because he wasn’t sure the message was getting through to all players despite the AFL crackdown on heavy hits.
“Six to eight weeks would sit comfortably with me. It’s certainly not four,” Lewis on Monday.
“If you want to take a piece of vision and go around to the AFL clubs and say this is what we don’t want to see, then tick, tick, tick.
“I would even go one step further. Let’s say he gets eight weeks, that is a heft penalty. I would then throw a fine on top of that.
“The player gets taken out of what they love doing, which is playing, I’m then throwing on a $30,000 fine as well, Maybe suspension isn’t enough. Maybe for some reason, it’s not computing, so I’m going to throw in a fine as well.”
— with NCA NewsWire
Originally published as North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson in ugly drama as incident revealed
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