AFL 2020: Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson torched for Tom Papley comment

Veteran footy commentator Caroline Wilson has torched Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson with a full rap sheet of his umpire transgressions.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson will reportedly receive an official reprimand from the AFL on Tuesday.

It comes as the veteran mentor was on Monday night roasted by veteran footy commentator Caroline Wilson, who released Clarkson’s full rap sheet of recent transgressions towards umpires.

Clarkson raised eyebrows over the weekend when he claimed Swans star Tom Papley “milks a free kick as well as anyone” after his team’s loss in Sydney.

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Clarkson told Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Monday night he wishes he chose his words better when suggesting the Swans star took a dive — but it won’t save him from receiving a “please explain” from the AFL, according to reporter Sam McClure.

McClure told Channel 9’s Footy Classified the league will demand an explanation from Clarkson on Tuesday.

Wilson said she hopes the league takes serious action against Clarkson because of his long-running list of “inappropriate” comments about umpires.

The former The Age journalist revealed Clarkson’s full rap sheet of incidents with umpires that ended with the four-time premiership coach in hot water.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson at the SCG.

“I hope it’s not a suspended fine. I hope they stand up to Alastair Clarkson,” Wilson said.

“The Swans would have made some form of complaint had he not been given some form of please explain.”

Clarkson’s rap sheet includes a 2017 incident where he was fined $5000 — with $15000 suspended — for saying: “I am not able to comment on disgraceful umpiring” in a post-game press conference.

He was given a suspended fine in 2006 for approaching two umpires on a flight back from Perth, and fined $5000 in 2008 after suggesting an umpire was playing for the opposition.

In 2012 he received a four-week suspension from the South Metro Junior Football League for swearing at an umpire’s adviser during his son’s football match.

"I hope the AFL stands up to him."

Caroline Wilson believes the league needs to come down hard on Alastair Clarkson, who is set to be issued a 'please explain' for his comments about the umpiring on the weekend.#9FootyClassified | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/9G7HYyVxGw

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) July 27, 2020

Clarkson on Monday clarified his comments, but still maintains what he said was not disrespectful to the umpires or Papley.

“I spoke about Tom milking free kicks, but I should’ve used different terminology, really, because every player has done that in the game. That’s the only way I could actually win a free kick when I played,” he said.

“I’ll choose my words a bit more wisely in the future but I just got caught up in how quickly it was after the game.

“Technically it’s a free kick, but it’s something we’ve got to avoid getting ourselves implicated in.

“If you listen to my whole press conference, it was pretty measured and composed,” Clarkson said on AFL 360.

“I spoke about swings and roundabouts in terms of free kicks that come and go your way or otherwise. That’s the game.

“I didn’t think I was any way in being disrespectful to the umpires or Tom Papley. In that respect, if anything I’d choose my words differently more than anything.”