Clarko’s exit creates ‘vulnerable’ coaches; biggest question Mitchell must answer: Morris

The Hawthorn handover is a mutually beneficial agreement that, unlike Collingwood’s equivalent or Essendon’s trainwreck transition in 2020, suits all parties.

Firstly, Hawthorn keeps club great Sam Mitchell in its four walls without having to sack a four-time premiership coach to do so.

Insiders have mumbled for years that a refresh was needed, but ousting Clarkson was never an option. Anyone who has presided over such success should be virtually untouchable.

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Secondly, Mitchell wins the role he has coveted for several years and gets 18 months to prepare for the responsibility. To build on his strengths and work on his weaknesses.

And lastly, for Clarkson, he can write his own cheque elsewhere. How many 0’s do you want, Clarko?

As he told journalists on Tuesday, he will have a chance to focus on the five F’s in his life: Family, fitness, football, friends and the farm. He also gets to keep his word, having vehemently defended it, and will see out his contract at Waverley Park.

Next year will be one giant lap of honour for Clarkson, but behind the scenes the coaching carousel has already begun to turn. What was a dormant game of musical chairs before the bye is now in full swing.

With Clarkson’s future now determined, there are seven out of contract coaches at the end of next season.

Tuesday’s announcement makes Stuart Dew and David Teague significantly more vulnerable, while Matthew Nicks, Simon Goodwin and Justin Longmuir appear safe but dangle a Clarkson carrot in front of any AFL board in the country and they’d be foolish not to look at it.

Jeff Kennett and Alastair Clarkson didn’t always see eye-to-eye. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Chris Scott is also out of contract, but Clarkson joining Geelong is a bit like Sir Alex Ferguson signing at Manchester City. Even in the strangest of times, this scenario seems implausible.

If Clarkson was frustrated by the handover, he didn’t show it on Tuesday. When he spoke to stunned players at 1.05pm, he did not mention whether he’d coach beyond 2022, but those who know him say there is little doubt he will.

And if you think Ross Lyon’s value has escalated in his 18 months out of the game, consider what 12 months away from coaching will do for Clarkson’s reputation.

Mitchell, for all his feats on the field, remains a curious figure in Hawthorn’s dynasty. Highly respected as a player, he was replaced as captain at the end of 2011 by Luke Hodge, who was seen as more affable and ‘one of the boys’.

In this sense, Mitchell’s persona to those who played alongside him was often construed as selfish. Maybe it was because he got to the top the hard way having been forced to dominate VFL before being handed an opportunity at the top level? Or was the chip on his shoulder the very element that made him a great player (and a Brownlow Medalist)?

Or, do people mischaracterize his selfish streak as harmful when it should be viewed as ruthless and necessary in pursuit of success?

Sam Mitchell’s drive for success helped him get picked up by the Hawks out of their Box Hill VFL side. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Either way, his ability to drive his own standards helped the Hawks become great, just as Nathan Buckley’s tunnel-visioned ambition aided Collingwood.

The question is, has Mitchell softened like Buckley was forced to midway through his stint at Collingwood? And if not, can he in the next 18 months?

Does he have the potential to open his eyes and ears like Buckley did? Or will the very stubbornness that made him great unravel him as a senior coach?

Those who have worked alongside Mitchell and have been coached by him do not question his football IQ. They say his tactical nous matches up against anyone. But it’s the other side of coaching – his ability to connect on an emotional level with a variety of personalities – that looms as his sternest test.

It’s one thing to know and it’s entirely another thing to educate and inspire.

Mitchell was never ‘one of the lads’ as a player and it’s this separation that will probably work in his favour when he takes the reins. A coach who tries to be mates with his players is a coach who may as well look for a new job.

Contrastingly, gone are the days of a coach ruling with an iron fist. Mitchell is learning how to strike this balance as Box Hill’s VFL boss this year and will continue in the role in 2022. Insiders say he’s been good but has more to learn, which is why a handover period makes complete sense.

Mitchell’s Box Hill Hawks have won seven of nine matches this season, sitting third behind Footscray and Southport. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)Source: AAP

Mitchell’s coaching credentials and promise were personified halfway through the third term of the Box Hill Hawks’ Round 4 clash against Werribee. Totally overwhelmed, down to three on the bench and trailing by 44 points 12 minutes into the quarter, Mitchell spun the magnets, putting defenders to half-forward, using a smaller forward line and unleashing a new-look centre bounce mix.

Cue four unanswered Box Hill goals in 12 minutes totally against the grain, with the Hawks getting on top at the coalface and apply tremendous pressure.

Ultimately, the Werribee side had the experience and hard edge to run out winners. But the Mitchell effect was eye-catching.

This is partly why Hawthorn deserves great credit for how it has handled a potentially tenuous scenario. Disenfranchising Clarkson would not have ended well for Jeff Kennett, but losing Mitchell would have also been a catastrophe.

Navigating difficult terrain and eventually finding the right balance with no blood shed, the Hawks have again demonstrated why they are the greatest club of the modern era.

In one fell swoop, they have done everything required to keep the past and future alive.