‘Terrible spectacle’: Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson’s furious tirade over ugly AFL brand

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has sent the AFL a furious message in an angry press conference, savaging the game’s “terrible spectacle”.

Clarkson’s frustration is clear.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has ripped the AFL as a spectacle after a thrilling win in a largely dour match against North Melbourne.

The game was heading to a Hawthorn win in another low-scoring match but the Hawks gave up a 31-point lead to end up winning by just four points in the 8.10 (58) to 8.6 (54) result.

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While the players looked to the heavens in relief after the game, coach Clarkson was not happy at all with the game.

He kicked off the press conference by saying “I hope I’m not the only one that thought it was a dreadful game”.

He said the match was devoid of highlights and neither side played well but at least there was a result.

“You put a lot of time and effort and endeavour into the game … we had 69 tackles and I don’t think we had a free kick from a tackle,” he said. “69 tackles and not one of them can be adjudicated holding the ball. What’s happened to our game? You can’t have that many tackles and not one of them be incorrect disposal. You wonder why the game is an arm-wrestle and you can’t get any open footy.

“Tonight’s game … if that’s a spectacle that we’re trying to search for in our game then our game is in a dreadful space. But we’re better than that and I think we can do a hell of a lot better and open the game up a bit and adjudicate some of those holding the balls for both sides.

“There were times where we got nailed in a tackle and it should have been holding the ball as well. Please umps, just pay them, open the game up.”

Alastair Clarkson lays down the law.

Clarkson said that it may slant in favour of the ball carrier some times but believes the umpires should make a decision.

But he said he wasn’t going to bring it up directly with the AFL.

“They’ll listen to this press conference no doubt and hopefully they hear it loud and clear,” he said. “The scores, the AFL can’t be happy can they. There was two goals each at the MCG wasn’t there. Beautiful day, beautiful winter’s day, rain, no rain, Geelong and Melbourne who I both rate as sides — both sides could play finals this year — and there’s two goals each at halftime. Fair dinkum.”

He wasn’t done however with reporters continuing down the same line of question with Clarkson continuing to show his frustration.

“Footy can’t be played in the manner that we liked when it’s being adjudicated in the way it is in the present time, and it’s not the umps’ fault,” he said. “The umps are just doing what they’re told to do but I think our game across the board is not seeing the exciting brand of footy, passages of play, there are hardly any goals being scored — fans love goals, love high marks — but we’re just not seeing anywhere near enough.

“Young Thomas takes the mark of the day and he doesn’t get to kick the goal because there’s a free kick infringement. Honestly, what a shame. What a shame we’re not encouraging our players to play the game properly.”

The Hawks won but it certainly wasn’t pretty.

Clarkson said there was nothing he liked about the night and called it a “terrible spectacle” and was disappointed by the way the game is being played at the moment.

He continued saying he was concerned about the trajectory of the game with the only upside coming from the close games and not knowing who will win.

It comes after Geelong coach Chris Scott said the coaches “have a bit of responsibility” on making the game more dour and floated a 16-a-side change as a possible solution.

It came after Geelong and Melbourne were locked at 2.3 (15) to 2.2 (14) at halftime.

But Scott added the “responsibility is more with the rule makers and with the AFL” and that they “ask the coaches too much”.

LEGENDS ADD TO CALL

North Melbourne legend David King said it wasn’t the first time Clarkson had made the call but agreed the game has a glaring issue.

“We’ve got to open up the game,” King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack. “The umpires have to take control. He’s spot on.

“In round 4, there were 954 tackles laid for 62 holding the balls. That’s six per cent, it’s a shocking percentage. I think he’s right. He pleaded at the end of the press conference, saying please pay them, for us and against us, we’ll adjust.”

Saints great Nick Dal Santo asked if it was the umpires or the guidelines, with the panel agreeing it was the guidelines.

Dal Santo said he believed the ugly football on display went deeper than a few rule issues.

“No one wants to dare to win anymore, we’re all so conservative,” he said. “This has been the blueprint of good teams for a period of time now.

“Traditionally teams that have been going well over the last handful of years, they go wide out of defence, really conservative, minimise the damage on the rebound if they were to turn it over and then attack once they get centre forward.

“But I think a combination of really poor skill level and I guess we’re still trying to get a feel of this trend since we’ve had the resumption of play over the past three weeks. I think we’ve seen enough now to say ‘hey, there is something wrong’.”

Jy Simpkin is tackled by Sam Frost.

Dal Santo said he believes coaches need to take responsibility in how they coach the game.

King said he believes the holding the ball issue is huge with near 200 handballs per game up from about 60 a decade ago.

“The game has changed so you’ve got to change with it,” he said. “We need to radically change, we need to adjust on the run. You can’t wait another 15 rounds, you can’t wait for 2020 to finish, you’ve got to say ‘righto, we’re making a change, we’ve addressed what the coaches are saying and we’re going to say if you’re caught with the ball now, it’s holding the ball’.”

He believes it will force the players to move quicker, and spread across the field, with the penalty leading to goals and turnovers.

King added “let’s get our game back, let’s get ball movement back”.

He pointed to the NRL’s decision around the six again rule and said “it’s the most watchable it’s been in years.