Alastair Clarkson forced to clarify future directly to players after Blues link

Like Jordan Belfort in the Wolf of Wall Street, Alastair Clarkson says he ain’t leaving Hawthorn Football Club. But could another premiership coach be the smoky in Carlton’s coaching race?

Like Jordan Belfort in the famous moment in The Wolf of Wall Street, Alastair Clarkson says he's not leaving.

LikeJordan Belfort in the Wolf of Wall Street, Alastair Clarkson ain’t leaving Hawthorn.

The four-time master coach was forced to douse a raging bushfire ignited by ex-Hawk Ben Dixon after it was suggested he would land at Carlton next year.

Remarkably, Clarkson was forced to raise the issue with his players on Tuesday in a sign he is desperate to finish his third rebuild at the Hawks.

The prospect of Clarkson leaving mid-rebuild, with a list in transition and the team already playing dour mid-table football, is a terrifying prospect for Hawks fans.

But Tom Scully, one of the man players who have come to Hawthorn in part because of Clarkson’s coaching, set the record straight yesterday.
“I saw something about it but once again, as a player, I don't read anything into that,” Scully said of Dixon's prediction.

“That's his opinion and as far as I’m concerned, Clarko's the coach and until he says otherwise, there's nothing really to see.

“Clarko made a little reference to it this morning but it was all a bit of a joke.

“He just said, ‘We'll address the elephant in the room — I’m not going to Carlton’.”

Clarkson has already made clear how much he wants to remain at the club, having signed a contract through to 2022 in October last year.

Like Jordan Belfort in the famous scene from The Wolf of Wall Street, Alastair Clarkson says he's not leaving Hawthorn.

His manager James Henderson told the Herald Sun last month he could not be happier at the club.

The Hawks take on five consecutive sides in the top eight in the next five weeks, starting with West Coast this week.

What is apparent is how perfectly Brad Scott has played his hand, almost certain to land a coaching job with as many as four potential vacancies.

Carlton will be determined to land a coach who can hit the ground running while St Kilda will also want to make an instant impact if they move on Alan Richardson.

It means Scott grows increasingly attractive in a market where he could have multiple suitors.

Premiership coach Paul Roos told the Herald Sun last week he would consider a role at the Blues that saw him in a managerial role with a match-day coach under him.

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