Alastair Clarkson missed chance to add extra year to his coaching contract after 2016 finals failure

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson missed a chance to add another year to his contract after the team’s finals failure last year as speculations swirls around his coaching future.

Alastair Clarkson is coaching his 13th season at Hawthorn. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

HAWTHORN’S finals failure last year means Alastair Clarkson has missed a lucrative clause to add another season to his contract.

Clarkson is tied to the Hawks until the end of 2019 as speculation swirls about whether rival clubs could lure him out of Hawthorn.

The AFL’s best coach signed a deal last year that would have added an extra season to his contract if he navigated the Hawks to a pair of high finals finishes in 2016 and 2017.

The Hawks went out in straight sets last year and seem destined to miss finals for the first time since 2009.

It means his deal has two more seasons past this year on a contract of around $1.2 million a year — fitting reward for his brilliance.

Alastair Clarkson is coaching his 13th season at Hawthorn. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

But while rivals will hope to lure him with massive offers, he has no Ross-Lyon style escape clause in that contract.

Lyon was able to leave St Kilda because his contract stated he could walk away if he pleased.

Clarkson would have to break his contract to leave Hawthorn, as premiership coach Mark Williams and former president Jeff Kennett have suggested in recent weeks.

Kennett believes leaders should only remain in charge for 6-9 years, with Clarkson entering the 13th season of his tenure at Hawthorn.

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Clarkson is the longest serving coach at a single club since Kevin Sheedy’s reign at Essendon.

He said last year after signing his contract he wanted to see through the next period of success at Hawthorn.

“It really feels like if I’m the one who selects to jump off that, then I’m sort of abandoning the journey in a sense of some young lads who I’ve been involved with recruiting to the football club,” he said.

“I don’t want to do that prematurely, I want to see it through.”

Hawthorn appear set to miss the finals this year for the first time since 2009.

But when Lyon left St Kilda to join Fremantle on a four-year deal he was able to use a little-known get-out clause.

“If circumstances for either party arose where they wanted to exercise those options, they could,’’ Lyon said in the days following his exit.

“That situation arose for me. I’ve done nothing unlawful in exercising an option that was written into my contract.

“I sit here very comfortable with my integrity and my honour.”

It would be a stunning backflip for Clarkson to leave mid-rebuild and only a season after being so emphatic about his future.

But given he remains an intense and high-maintenance coach some close to him wonder if he will eventually wear himself out at Hawthorn.

If he did move on for a fresh challenge at the end of the 2018 season few would begrudge him giving his incredible service at the Hawks.