Clarko with ‘mixed emotions’ ahead of clash with former side in Tasmania

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson will come face to face with his former side Hawthorn on Saturday for the first time. Hear what he had to say about the clash.

Alastair Clarkson and Sam Mitchell embrace after winning the 2015 AFL Premiership. On Saturday the pair will face off as Clarkson clashes with his former side for the first time as coach of North Melbourne (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

ALASTAIR Clarkson admits it’ll be a day of mixed emotions on Saturday as the one time Hawthorn messiah comes face-to-face with his former side and his successor for the first time.

After a 17 years as the mastermind behind four Hawthorn premierships, the most successful coach of the 21st century will now plot the Hawks downfall as he leads North Melbourne into battle against the club he took from an AFL basket case into one of the most dominant teams of the modern era.

Ahead of an intriguing encounter between old and new, as well as a clash with his Hawthorn successor and former premiership captain Sam Mitchell, Clarkson admitted Saturday’s matchup at Launceston’s UTas Stadium would be more than just another game.

“It’s going to be a strange sort of day with mixed emotions,” Clarkson told the Mercury.

“It’s going to be exciting as I spent a big part of my coaching life at the Hawthorn Footy Club so there’s some pretty special memories.

“Obviously I’ve got to have my focus on the fact we are down there to complete a task and that’s win the game but it’s going to be unusual set of emotions ill have on the day I’m sure.”

Clarkson celebrates with Jy Simpkin, Harry Sheezel, and Luke McDonald after beating West Coast Eagles at Marvel Stadium in Round 1 (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

With the legendary coach calling time on his career at Hawthorn in 2021 while Covid was still rife, Clarkson said Saturday’s game would allow him a chance to say a proper goodbye to thousands of Tasmanian Hawthorn fans following his and the club’s long association with the state.

“I’m actually looking forward to getting back to that stadium,” he said.

“Ironically big ‘Bud’ [Lance Franklin] kicked 13 goals against North Melbourne in a game there some years ago and ‘Crawf’ [Shane Crawford] played his 300th game against Brisbane at that oval and there’s just so many special memories.

“When I finished up it was the year of Covid so there wasn’t an appropriate opportunity to acknowledge the great support that our club and I had from the Tasmanian people.

“So I’m hoping in some way that the game can be that opportunity for me to give a wave to some people in the crowd that had given me so much support to the journey we had at Hawthorn.”

Sam Mitchell and Clarkson holding aloft the premiership cup in 2008 after beating Geelong. On Saturday the pair will face off as rival coaches for the first time.

The 58-year-old, who in August signed a five-year deal as the new coach of the Kangaroos following 390 games at the helm of the Hawks, said he felt Saturday would be a win for him regardless of the scoreboard.

“I can’t really lose on that day in a sense,” he said.

“I’ll go down there trying to secure the victory for North Melbourne but knowing full well that a win for me as well will be acknowledging the people that gave me so much support as Hawthorn coach for such a long period of time.”

Remarkably, Clarkson’s Roos will enter the clash as heavy favourites despite taking out the past two wooden spoons following impressive wins over West Coast and Fremantle to sit undefeated after the opening two rounds.

Meanwhile, Mitchell’s Hawks will be looking for their first win of 2023 after two poor outings, backing up their 59-point loss to Essendon in round one with an 81-poiiunt drubbing at the hands of Sydney on Sunday at the SCG.