‘Very surprised’: Wayne Carey weighs in on Alastair Clarkson’s coaching dilemma

Alastair Clarkson is weighing up two AFL coaching offers, and Wayne Carey says he’d be surprised if the master coach “did a backflip”.

Alastair Clarkson is weighing up his coaching options.

It seems only a matter of time until Alastair Clarkson is announced as the coach of either Essendon or North Melbourne, but it’s still anyone’s guess which of those two clubs he will choose.

Clarkson, who led Hawthorn to four premierships, has had a gap year of sorts after he was replaced by Sam Mitchell at the Hawks in an accelerated succession plan at the end of last season.

But after spending time in the US with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and leading the campaign for a Tasmanian AFL team, Clarkson is well and truly in the mix for several coaching jobs.

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North Melbourne and GWS were in talks with Clarkson for weeks but the Giants were ruled out of the race for the 54-year-old’s signature this week, reportedly because of his desire to stay in Victoria.

Essendon have suddenly entered the mix this week after the Bombers’ embarrassing 84-point loss to Port Adelaide put Ben Rutten’s position as coach under serious pressure.

North Melbourne and Essendon are at different stages of their rebuilds and Clarkson is now weighing up offers from both clubs, including a lucrative five-year contract with the Kangaroos.

Clarkson played 93 games for North Melbourne and Kangaroos legend Wayne Carey said he would be surprised if Clarkson turned his back on North if negotiations had progressed significantly.

“If Alastair Clarkson was a fair way down the track with North Melbourne, I’d be very surprised, knowing Clarko, and knowing the way he conducts himself, I’d be very surprised if he did a backflip,” Carey told Triple M.

Clarko has a decision to make. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I know a lot of people think he will, but I’d be surprised if he did a backflip, just knowing what type of character he is.”

Hawthorn great Luke Hodge, who played under Clarkson, believes a lengthy deal and the ability to bring in his own assistants and support staff could lure the master coach to North Melbourne.

“If you look at North Melbourne, he’s got five years of grace,” Hodge said on SEN.

“He’s got five years of bringing in the people he wants. In three years if they’re still developing, North Melbourne have had a poor record for a few years, they need change, they need someone to come in and Clarko is the person to come in to bring sponsors, to bring members, to bring hope and positivity going into the future.

“If you go to Essendon, all of a sudden that five-year grace isn’t there. Essendon is a team that wants (immediate) success. They’re desperate for success.

“They got rid of Matthew Knights because he wasn’t doing the job after two years, obviously what happened with James Hird, but then they weren’t happy with John Worsfold because he wasn’t getting there quick enough, Ben Rutten made the finals in his first year and now in the second year they’re trying to get rid of him.”

Bombers coach Ben Rutten is under the pump. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Essendon arguably has more talented players but that will bring more pressure on Clarkson to get wins on the board immediately.

“Essendon do have some quality players on their list,” Hodge said.

“We saw that when they made the finals in 2021.

“Yes they had a harder draw this year, they didn’t play the football we expected, there were a lot of comments on whether they were defensively minded enough.”

After making finals last year, the Bombers have fallen back to earth this season and have been slammed for a lack of defensive effort through 2022.

“I can tell you what, if Clarkson goes into that side they’re going to be defensively minded,” Hodge continued.

“There’s going to be vision on vision on vision on vision all through pre-season of doing the right thing defensively and what the right thing is to do.

“Whether it’s training or a pre-season game, he takes that stuff so seriously and if anyone steps one foot the wrong way in a defensive system, you will be shown it and if you keep doing it you won’t play.”