Hailing from the small town of Kaniva, Victoria, Clarkson played eleven seasons of AFL football – nine for North Melbourne (1987–1995) followed by two for Melbourne (1996–1997). He played 134 games in total, playing either in the midfield or on the half-forward flanks. After retiring from playing, Clarkson served for periods as an assistant coach at St Kilda (1999), head coach of VFL club Werribee (2000), head coach of SANFL club Central District (2001–2002), and assistant coach at Port Adelaide (2003–2004).
Clarkson was appointed senior coach of Hawthorn at the end of the 2004 season, in which the club had placed second-last. Hawthorn returned to the finals in 2007, Clarkson's third season in charge, and the following year defeated Geelong in the grand final to claim their first premiership since 1991. From 2012 to 2015, Clarkson cemented his place in club history by coaching Hawthorn to four consecutive grand finals. The Hawks emerged victorious in 2013, 2014, and 2015, becoming only the sixth team in league history to win three consecutive premierships. Clarkson is one of the few men to have coached four premiership teams and is widely considered among the most innovative and successful coaches in AFL history. [2][3]
Early life
Clarkson grew up in the small rural town of Kaniva, Victoria.[4] He moved to Ballarat at the age of 14 to board at Ballarat Clarendon College,[5] where he played in the school cricket and football teams. When not playing for his school, Clarkson would play for the Kaniva & Districts Football Club in the Tatiara Football League.[6]
Clarkson was 19 and at the end of his first season with North Melbourne when the Kangaroos met Carlton in October 1987 in the controversial "Battle of Britain", an exhibition match at The Oval in London. Several players from both teams were suspended after a spiteful game, with Clarkson receiving a four-match penalty for coward punching Ian Aitken from behind being the longest. Aitken's jaw was broken from the attack.[9][8]
He played mainly as a half-forward and stood at 171cm, before moving into the midfield. In 1995, he was made captain of the reserves side, with chances of senior selection unlikely due to the presence of midfielders such as Wayne Schwass, Anthony Stevens and Anthony Rock. He played 93 games with the Kangaroos for 61 goals in his nine seasons until 1995.[8]
During his playing days with North Melbourne, Clarkson was employed by Wesley College, Melbourne, as a physical education teacher.
Melbourne
With limited opportunity at the Kangaroos, Clarkson was traded to the Melbourne Football Club where he debuted in 1996. He was a solid player and averaged 23.5 disposals in 22 games that year. He played 19 games in 1997, taking his tally with the Demons to 41 games, before retiring at the end of the season.[8] Clarkson served as a runner with the Melbourne Football Club in 1998.[10]
Clarkson took over as head coach at Werribee in the VFL in 2000.[10]
Central District Football Club senior coach
He moved to Central District in South Australia, where he was the premiership coach in his debut year in 2001. In 2002, Clarkson guided Central District to the SANFL minor premiership and guided them to their second successive SANFL Grand Final. However, they ended up losing to Sturt.[10]
Clarkson was appointed to his first senior Australian Football League (AFL) coaching role for the 2005 season when the Hawks appointed him to lead their rebuilding phase.[11] Clarkson replaced Hawthorn Football Club caretaker senior coach Donald McDonald, who replaced Peter Schwab during the 2004 season, after Schwab quit during the season when the Hawks were struggling and eventually finished in second-last placed position on the ladder at the end of the 2004 season.[12][13] Clarkson was prepared to delist older players and introduce a youth policy. Club veterans Rayden Tallis, Mark Graham, Kris Barlow, Luke McCabe and Lance Picioane left the club and Nathan Thompson was traded to North Melbourne. Hawthorn under Clarkson had five wins in Clarkson's debut season as senior coach of the Hawthorn Football Club in the 2005 season.[14] Another round of culling saw the delisting of Angelo Lekkas and Nick Holland and the trade of Jonathan Hay and Nathan Lonie. Clarkson brought to the club delisted players Brent Guerra and Stephen Gilham whom he knew from his time at Port Adelaide. In the 2006 season, the side under Clarkson improved as Clarkson showed innovation by restructuring the forwards with a system that became known as "Buddy's box".[15] The team won its last four games in a row to finish in 11th spot on the ladder at the end of the 2006 season.[14] The Hawks under Clarkson continued to improve in the 2007 season, winning 13 games and finishing fifth on the premiership table. This took them into the finals, where they defeated Adelaide in an elimination final, before being eliminated in a semi-final against North Melbourne.[14]
Clarkson went against his own policy on draft day 2007 when, in addition to youngster Cyril Rioli, he recruited the recently retired Stuart Dew, whom he also knew from his time at Port Adelaide. He also introduced a new style of play that became known as the "Clarkson cluster".
Early dominance in the 2008 season led Hawthorn to announce that Clarkson had signed a contract until the end of 2011. In the 2008 season, Clarkson took the Hawks to second place at the end of the minor round before coaching the team to the premiership victory in the 2008 AFL Grand Final, when Hawthorn defeated Geelong by a margin of 26 points, with the final score Hawthorn 18.7 (115) to Geelong 11.23 (89), Geelong had lost only one game during the year.[14] In doing so, Clarkson became the first (and, as of 2017, only) person to be a premiership-winning coach in both the AFL/VFL and the SANFL.[14]
After the 2008 premiership, opposition teams worked hard at picking the "Clarkson cluster" apart. Dogged by injuries to key players, the Hawks under Clarkson slipped down the ladder to finish ninth at the end of the 2009 season and therefore just missed out of the finals.[14] After a poor start to the 2010 season, when the club under Clarkson lost six out of its first seven games, including an embarrassing 43-point loss to Essendon in Round 6, 2010 after which the entire club came under scrutiny,[16][17] the team finally abandoned the cluster for a more precision-kicking style. Aided by recruiting established players to cover weaknesses, the club under Clarkson climbed its way back up the ladder and finished seventh on the ladder at the end of the 2010 season, therefore making the finals, but the Hawks under Clarkson were eliminated by Fremantle in the first week of the 2010 elimination final.[14] In the 2011 season, the Hawks under Clarkson finished third on the ladder and made the finals, but were eliminated by the eventual runners-up Collingwood in the 2011 Preliminary Final.[14]
In the 2012 season, Clarkson coached Hawthorn to the 2012 AFL Grand Final, but fell short and lost to Sydney Swans by a margin of 10 points with the final score Hawthorn 11.15 (81) to Sydney Swans 14.7 (91).[14]
In the 2013 season, Clarkson again led the Hawks to another premiership win, this time over Fremantle in the 2013 AFL Grand Final with the score Hawthorn 11.11 (77) to Fremantle 8.14 (62).[14][18]
In 2013, Clarkson became only the third man behind John Kennedy, Sr. and Allan Jeans to coach Hawthorn for 200 games. He is the only man to coach the club in 200 consecutive games. In Round 8, 2014, he became the equal second longest-serving coach of Hawthorn, with Allan Jeans, when he coached his 221st AFL match against the Sydney Swans.[19]
Clarkson has been coach of the Australian team in the International Rules Series in 2014 and 2015. The IRS is a hybrid game played between an Australian team of AFL players and one made up of Irish Gaelic footballers at the end of each of their seasons. It is played alternately in Ireland and Australia. The 2014 game was the first time in the competition's 30-year history that just one game decided the series winner.
During the 2014 season in May 2014, Clarkson was admitted to hospital after a back injury which was later diagnosed as Guillain–Barré syndrome.[20] Assistant coach Brendon Bolton became the interim senior coach for five matches, winning every game in Clarkson's absence.[21] Clarkson returned in July after his absence of five matches, after Clarkson received an endorsement from his doctors to resume his role as senior coach.[22] and coached Hawthorn to their 12th premiership win when they defeated Sydney Swans 21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74) in the 2014 AFL Grand Final.[14][23] This placed him alongside Allan Jeans and John Kennedy Sr as Hawthorn's most successful premiership winning coaches, with three premierships each.[3]
In the 2015 season, Clarkson coached Hawthorn to their third straight flag in the 2015 AFL Grand Final, when Hawthorn defeated West Coast Eagles 16.11 (107) to 8.13 (61).[14][24][25] This made Clarkson Hawthorn's most successful coach, and tying Leigh Matthews as the only coaches to win three straight premierships in the 21st century.
Clarkson coaching Hawthorn in 2017
In the 2016 season, the Hawks under Clarkson finished third on the ladder and again made the finals. But Hawthorn under Clarkson were eliminated by the eventual premiers the Western Bulldogs in the semi-final.[14] In the 2017 season, Hawthorn under Clarkson fell back with the club's on-field performance and finished twelve on the ladder, therefore missing out of the finals.[14] In the 2018 season, The Hawks under Clarkson returned to the finals when they finished fourth on the ladder, but were eliminated by Melbourne in the semi-final.[14] In the 2019 season, the Hawks under Clarkson finished ninth on the ladder and therefore just missed out of the finals.[14] In the 2020 season, the Hawks under Clarkson fell back with a disastrous deterioration in the club's on-field performance and finished fifteenth place (fourth-last) placed position on the ladder with five wins and twelve losses.[14]
On 6 July 2021, the Hawthorn Football Club announced that it will implement a succession plan which will see Clarkson coach out his current contract, before being succeeded as senior coach by assistant coach Sam Mitchell from 2023.[26][27][28] However, on 30 July 2021, it was announced that Clarkson would leave Hawthorn at the conclusion of the 2021 AFL season, with Mitchell immediately succeeding him.[29][30][31][32]
In Clarkson's final season as senior coach of Hawthorn Football Club in the 2021 season, the Hawks under Clarkson finished fourteenth on the ladder (fifth-last) position on the ladder.[14]
Clarkson coached Hawthorn Football Club from 2005 until 2021, for a total of 17 seasons, with a record of 390 games with 228 wins, 158 losses and 4 draws with a winning percentage of 60 percent.[33] Clarkson also coached the club to a total of four premierships in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015 as well as when the club finished as runners-up in 2012.[14]
In September 2022, following his departure from the club, he was alleged to have been involved in the isolation and separation of indigenous players from their partners and families, allegations which came to light as part of an external review into historical racism commissioned by Hawthorn. Investigations into the allegations are ongoing.[34]
North Melbourne Football Club senior coach (2023-present)
After David Noble was sacked as senior coach of North Melbourne and caretaker senior coach Leigh Adams took over for the remaining matches of the 2022 season, on 19 August 2022, it was announced that Clarkson would become senior coach of North Melbourne on a five-year contract, starting from the 2023 season. The appointment was described as a "homecoming" for him due to his playing career starting at the club.[35][36][37][38]
In May 2023, just before the start of Round 10, Clarkson announced that he would step away from his role as North Melbourne senior coach indefinitely, citing mental health as a result of the investigation into alleged historical racism during his time at Hawthorn.[39] He would have coached his 400th game that weekend against the Sydney Swans. Assistant coach Brett Ratten, who had been caretaker senior coach at two previous clubs, was announced as Clarkson's caretaker. Clarkson resumed his role as senior coach of North Melbourne in Round 21, 2023 against Melbourne.[40]
A number of Clarkson's assistants have gone on to coach at senior level in the AFL. Notably, Clarkson and his proteges have collectively appeared in 10 out of 11 AFL Grand Finals and won 9 out of 11 AFL premierships since 2013.
1 Bolton returned to Hawthorn soon after his tenure as Carlton coach ended in round 11, 2019. 2 Ratten had previously coached at Carlton between 2007 and 2012 before joining Hawthorn as an assistant coach in 2013. 3 Mitchell succeeded Clarkson as coach at the conclusion of the 2021 AFL season. 4 Yze filled in for Simon Goodwin for one match in round 7, 2022, due to Goodwin entering the AFL's health and safety protocols. 5 Burns filled in for Matthew Nicks for one match in round 8, 2022, due to Nicks entering the AFL's health and safety protocols. 6 Ratten filled in for Clarkson as senior coach of North Melbourne for ten matches in 2023, due to Clarkson taking leave.
In addition to his role in the Battle of Britain exhibition match, Clarkson has been sanctioned for his bad temper on several occasions during his coaching career. In Round 22, 2009, against Essendon, Clarkson was fined $15,000 for confronting and threatening Matthew Lloyd after Lloyd had flattened Hawthorn's Brad Sewell and started a brawl at the start of the third quarter of the match, and for abusing an interchange steward who attempted to intervene in the incident.[43]
In July 2012, while serving as the runner for his son's team in a South Metro Junior Football League under-9s match, Clarkson was reported for abusing 19-year-old umpires' adviser Thomas Grundy; he was suspended for four SMJFL matches for the incident. The incident occurred one day after he had punched a hole in the wall of a Melbourne Cricket Ground coaches' box during an AFL match.[44]
In May 2013, Clarkson again created controversy after calling AFL Media journalist Matt Thompson a "cockhead".[45]
After Hawthorn's Round 4 loss to Port Adelaide in 2015, footage was released of Clarkson appearing to grab the throat of a fan outside a hotel in Adelaide. After the club defended his actions, Clarkson suggested he was worried about his safety as three heavily intoxicated men had made physical contact with him after he refused photos, causing Clarkson to push one of the men. Unlike his previous incidents, Clarkson received almost unanimous support within the football industry, as well as from the general public over his actions.[46]
In 2024 during the AFL pre-season, Clarkson was fined $25,000 and given a 2-match suspended sentence for approaching Jimmy Webster for his bump on Jy Simpkin, reportedly calling Webster a "cocksucker".[47]
In May 2024, Clarkson was investigated for, and ultimately cleared of, verbally abusing umpires during North Melbourne's loss to Port Adelaide.[48]
Leigh Raymond Matthews is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and coached Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions in the VFL and renamed Australian Football League (AFL).
Adem Yze is an Australian rules football coach and former player. He played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), and is senior coach of the Richmond Football Club.
Damien Patrick Hardwick is a current Australian rules football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League. He is the former senior coach of the Richmond Football Club, serving in the role between 2010 and mid-2023 inclusive and winning three premierships.
John Barker is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Fitzroy Football Club, Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Donald McDonald is a former Australian rules footballer and coach.
Brett Ratten is an Australian rules football coach and former player in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played 255 games for the Carlton Football Club between 1990 and 2003, including the club's 1995 premiership. He then served as Carlton's senior coach from 2007 to 2012. After a seven-year stint as an assistant coach with Hawthorn and St Kilda, in 2019 he was appointed as St Kilda's senior coach, a role he held until his sacking at the end of the 2022 AFL season. Ratten was also the caretaker senior coach at North Melbourne during Alastair Clarkson's leave of absence.
Stuart Dew is an Australian rules football coach and former head coach of the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL). As a player, he played for the Port Adelaide Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. Dew was acknowledged as being a long penetrating left foot kick of the football.
Jordan Michael Lewis is a former Australian rules football player who played with the Hawthorn Football Club and Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League.
Samuel Mitchell is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is the current coach of the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.
Joshua Gibson is a former Australian rules football player who played for the North Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. He is a member of Hawthorn's 2013, 2014 and 2015 premiership winning teams, winning the Peter Crimmins Medal in both 2013 and 2015 premiership seasons. Gibson was known for his spoiling prowess down back and holds the record for most one percenters in AFL history.
Adam Simpson is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. A left-footed midfielder, his playing career for North Melbourne spanned from 1995 to 2009, where he played 306 games. He coached West Coast from 2014 until parting ways during the 2024 season, having led them to the 2018 premiership.
David Hale is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. As a player, he played with the North Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.
Todd Viney is an Australian rules football executive and former player and coach. He is currently the General Manager of Football of the North Melbourne Football Club. Viney played 13 seasons with Melbourne in the VFL/AFL, and he later served as their caretaker senior coach for the final five games of the 2011 season.
Luke Beveridge is an Australian rules football coach and former player who played for Melbourne, Footscray and St Kilda in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1990s. He is senior coach of the Western Bulldogs.
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Mulgrave, Victoria, that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was founded in 1902 in the inner-east suburb of Hawthorn, making it the youngest Victorian-based team in the AFL.
Brendon Bolton is an Australian rules football coach who is currently serving as the director of coaching with the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League. Bolton previously was the head coach of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League, having served in the role from 2016 to 2019. Prior to serving in this role, he served as the head coach of Victorian Football League club Box Hill from November 2008 to October 2010, guiding the club to two consecutive finals series in his two seasons in charge. Bolton would return to Hawthorn shortly after leaving Carlton
Damian Carroll is an Australian rules football coach who is the Head of Development and Learning at St Kilda Football Club. He was previously Collingwood Football Club's Head of Academy. He has also served as the head coach of Victorian Football League club Box Hill from 2011 to 2013, guiding the club to the VFL Premiership in his third season in charge, before going on to serve as an assistant coach with Hawthorn.
The 2015 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 91st season in the Australian Football League and 114th overall. Hawthorn entered the season as the two-time defending AFL premiers, having won back-to-back AFL premierships. Hawthorn won their third consecutive AFL premiership, fifth AFL premiership, and thirteenth premiership overall, defeating West Coast 107–61 in the Grand Final. Hawthorn became the first team to win five premierships in the AFL era. Hawthorn became just the second team in the AFL era to win three-consecutive premierships; joining the Brisbane Lions (2001–2003); and the sixth team in VFL/AFL history to win three consecutive premierships; joining Carlton (1906–1908), Collingwood (1927–1930), and Melbourne. Alastair Clarkson won his fourth premiership as coach, tying with Leigh Matthews for most premierships won in the AFL era. Clarkson also surpassed John Kennedy Sr. and Allan Jeans (3) for most premierships won as coach of Hawthorn. Luke Hodge joined Michael Voss as the only players to captain three premierships in the AFL era. Grant Birchall, Shaun Burgoyne, Luke Hodge, Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Cyril Rioli, and Jarryd Roughead all won their fourth premierships, tying with Martin Pike for the most in the AFL era. Shaun Burgoyne played in his sixth AFL Grand Final, tying with Martin Pike for the most appearances in the AFL era.
The 2016 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 92nd season in the Australian Football League and 115th overall, the 17th season playing home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 16th season playing home games at Aurora Stadium, the 12th season under head coach Alastair Clarkson, and the 6th season with Luke Hodge as club captain. Hawthorn entered the season as the three-time defending AFL premiers, having won back-to-back-to-back AFL premierships.
The 2021 Hawthorn Football Club season was the club's 97th season in the Australian Football League and 120th overall, the 22nd season playing home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 21st season playing home games at the University of Tasmania Stadium, the 17th season under head coach Alastair Clarkson, and the 1st season with Ben McEvoy as captain.
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