‘Strange day’: Hawks to escape emotional Clarko’s ‘shadow’, confirm ‘messy’ bombshell exit

Hawthorn will part ways with Alastair Clarkson at season’s end, but the four-time premiership coach insists he doesn’t have plans to coach an AFL side in 2022.

Foxfooty.com.au on Friday morning confirmed The Age’s report with senior sources in a bombshell move that will bring an end to the legendary boss’ 17-year tenure at the club.

It comes despite the Hawks’ categoric insistence since announcing the shock succession plan three weeks ago where Sam Mitchell would take over the coaching reins from 2023 that all parties were committed to it against intense speculation otherwise.

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Clarkson and Mitchell fronted the media as a united front on Friday afternoon to confirm the news — despite the “messy” situation and having “some difficult conversations over the past little while about how we could make this work”, according to Clarkson.

The outgoing Hawks coach said all discussions after the handover announcement pointed to a preference for Mitchell “getting into the chair” earlier than scheduled.

Alastair Clarkson coached Hawthorn to four premierships (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“We’ve come to the realisation that this footy club needs some fresh air from 2022 onwards. It’s my view that the footy club needs to free itself from my shadow in a sense,” Clarkson said.

“I felt like I was not going to be able to control the environment well enough and that would make it really difficult for Mitch and the footy club in 2022.

“I know it’s a little bit of a frenzy at the at the present time, but tell me a footy club in this great code of ours that hasn’t been in some sort of controversy around the change of a coach or thereabouts.

“I’m of the firm believe only one coach can steer the direction of a club and its playing group.

“The game spares no one. The game needs to continue to move forward.

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“I’ve had my time in the sun, and I’ve had a blast.”

Clarkson confirmed he was contractually able to coach at another club next year, but insisted he had no intention of taking charge of a rival team in 2022.

“I’m just going to take a breather,” he said.

“Right at the present time, my commitment is to have a spell and see where 2023 will take me.”

All three of club president Jeff Kennett, Clarkson and Mitchell as recently as last week publicly refuted claims that Clarkson would depart his role earlier and denied any friction between the latter two.

But it’s emerged that senior players voiced their concerns to club powerbrokers over the relationship growing untenable, leading to the call to dismiss Clarkson a year earlier than planned.

It’s believed the decision was reached on Thursday during a meeting between the Hawks’ board and Clarkson’s management – with the super coach to receive a full payout from his 2022 contract estimated to be worth more than $1 million – and the club had planned to put off the announcement until Monday.

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It’s understood a meeting took place on Wednesday involving the senior leadership group, CEO Justin Reeves and football director Richie Vandenberg – where Vandenberg then spoke to Clarkson afterwards where a mutual agreement was made to go their separate ways.

Players had become uneasy over the coaching handover, with skipper Ben McEvoy one player who voiced his concerns to senior staff.

The succession plan arrangement was initially triggered after Mitchell pulled out of the race for the vacant Collingwood coaching role which he was considered one of the frontrunners for.

Kennett said the club was “much bigger than any of us”.

“This is a momentous moment in the life of a football club,” he said. “And we hope that as a result of the goodwill that’s been shown by all parties we now have clear air. We have clean air, we have clarity and we can move on.”

Kennett denied the club had “misled the members”.

“We’ve done what we think is the right thing … It hasn’t worked,” he said.

“I accept responsibility for that.”

Clarkson said the move was necessary to streamline the direction of Hawthorn’s rebuild.

“We don’t want any confusion,” he said.

“We want to know who’s driving the bus, and (Mitchell) is driving the bus. (The players) need one bloke leading the charge.”

Clarkson was due to hold his regular Friday morning press conference at 10:30am, but the club informed media it’d been postponed.

Mitchell said it was a “strange day” full of “disappointment and sadness”.

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“I’m disappointed that we all end up here with a month to go, but I hope that we get the opportunity over the next month to give Clarko what he deserves,” Mitchell said.

Asked whether he’ll entertain any other coaching offers in the coming months, Clarkson said: “I don’t think I will. I want to take a breath and see what the next chapter is for me and that might not even be in football.”

One of the greatest coaches of all time, Clarkson led Hawthorn to four flags including a three-peat from 2013 to 2015.

In total, Clarkson has coached the Hawks in 386 games including 26 finals since taking over the job in 2005 – boasting a 58.3 per cent win rate during that period.

Hawthorn is expected to make an announcement of the decision on Friday.