AFL 2024: North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson fined $20,000

The AFL’s top lawyer has given Alastair Clarkson a serve as the league revealed the punishment for the coach’s ugly comments towards Jimmy Webster.

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has been fined $20,000 and given a suspended two-match ban for ‘conduct unbecoming’. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has been fined $20,000 for his use of “highly inappropriate language” in an ugly altercation with St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster last week.

The AFL charged Clarkson with “conduct unbecoming” after he used language that reportedly included a homophobic slur as he confronted Webster on the field following his sickening bump on Kangaroos captain Jy Simpkin during a pre-season game.

Clarkson said the sanction had prompted a “significant reflective moment” as he said he had not intended to “vilify or marginalise” anyone with his language.

The league also handed Clarkson a suspended two-match ban that will hang over his head until the end of the 2025 season if he again breaches rule 2.3(a) in the AFL code of conduct.

The coach will also need to attend league-approved “Pride in Sport” training during the 2024 season.

AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said Clarkson’s behaviour was not acceptable for a senior coach and reflected poorly on the game.

Alastair Clarkson (centre) has been fined $20,000 after an expletive-laden tirade against St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster during a pre-season match. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

“Alastair’s conduct does not represent behaviour acceptable to anyone in our game and not what is expected of a senior coach, especially someone of Alastair’s experience,” Meade said.

“While we understand there are emotions attached to the heat of the contest, engaging with an opposition player during the quarter-time break and then using language that is both unacceptable and highly inappropriate is something the AFL does not want in the game.”
Clarkson again issued a statement apologising for his language towards Webster and Howard after he said on Monday he regretted his actions.

“At the outset, I want to reiterate my initial public apology and acknowledge that my exchange with the St Kilda players was unnecessary and the language I used was inappropriate,” Clarkson said on Friday.

“I am disappointed that I allowed the emotion of the moment to envelope me and I should not have engaged with the St Kilda players.

“I have since apologised to St Kilda coach Ross Lyon, Jimmy Webster and Dougal Howard for the manner in which I reacted.

Clarkson apologised to Lyon, Howard and Webster (pictured) after the latter’s bump on Kangaroos captain Jy Simpkin prompted an expletive-laden outburst from the coach. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

“This has been a significant reflective moment for me. My language was not used with any intent to vilify or marginalise, however through this incident I have begun to understand the impact of the use of casual language. I am fully committed to educating myself in this regard.

“In terms of my reaction to the incident involving Jy (Simpkin), I have been doing some work to understand why I respond in the manner I do, but also to develop strategies I can implement in these moments.”

The AFL said the $20,000 fine would not be taken out of North Melbourne’s soft cap, which is the pool used to fund football department staff and other resources.

The expletive-laden tirade from Clarkson towards Webster came after the St Kilda defender knocked out Simpkin during the first quarter of a pre-season match at Moorabbin last week.

The incident occurred a minute before quarter time, with Clarkson storming onto the field to yell at Webster and other St Kilda players, including Howard.

Webster was sent straight to the AFL tribunal for the bump and was handed a seven-match suspension – the lengthiest since West Coast’s Andrew Gaff received an eight-match ban for punching Andrew Brayshaw in 2018.