Coach Alastair Clarkson - where is the pressure?

[Gavin Excell]

We are currently as bad as we have been in the past 5 years.

That is saying A LOT.

Never has a team been so incompetent and uncompetitive defensively. And I am sick of young individuals getting blamed - it is just a complete lack of team defence. They’ve all lost one on ones at times but honestly I’m prepared to say Sam Taylor would get a bag kicked on him at North right now.

I don’t think any coach could do a hell of a lot better, our list is awful and mismanaged; so many eggs in the midfielders as high draft picks basket.

However I do think Clarkson has Malthouse @ Carlton written all over him. A challenge insurmountable for their age & fatigue.
And I do think he is ignoring some obvious issues - Sheezel wasted in defence, but then our best key back prospect gets moved at half time to the forward/ruck, dropping Greenwood & Shiels when we clearly have too many kids on the field to be competitive (some of them will be better learning at VFL, poor Sellars has had 8 weeks on a list & then gets put key forward in this side - how’s that for his confidence?). He finally dropped Stephenson after a month but Stephens is just as soft & uncompetitive, you can’t have players like that at AFL level. Tucker & Fisher aren’t much better but can’t drop everyone.

Was Stephens traded in for one of the end of 1st round priority picks?

 

[LordLucifer]

Carlton fans drooling about this. Bit weird.

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

What's there to drool about ??

As a result of their own doing, the Kangas are a basketcase right now (and this is not the first time either) and will be for some time. The club has had a limited amount of success over its history and has always had one of the lowest membership totals in the competition especially when compared to the bigger clubs.

They knocked back the offer to move to the GC (on a matter of pride & principle) and then utterly cocked up the thing in Sydney as well all in the name of standing alone etc. And where did that get them ........ ??

The opportunity to cash in on the AFL's expansion should be looked at seriously this time around, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.For the record, this belief has nothing to do with which club I follow, quite the opposite actually.

I'm a firm believer in the growth of the game and given there will be a Canberra-based club in the competition sooner rather than later, the Kangas should be biting the bullet whilst they still can. There are already too many clubs in Melbourne as it is, a move to the ACT will give the Kangas the platform to build an all-new supporter base on top of those they already have. The existing supporters/members can watch them on TV one week and then live the next, they will certainly have the best of both worlds.

Times have changed from the old VFL days, a failure to move with these times now may see the club merge or completely go to the wall. There is a Tassie team coming in around 2028 and that will change a lot of peoples thinking, it should have alarm bells ringing at Arden St. If things haven't improved by the time Tassie arrives, there will be a compromised draft or two to further prolong the agony.

The goodwill from the AFL & the other clubs will run out very quickly too, you know that and so do I.

 

[Juddernaut08]

Clarkson's job is probably the safest in the AFL this year.

There's 0.000% chance he gets fired in his first full and uninterrupted season at the helm during an obvious rebuild.

We are in 2024, the 5th year of the North rebuild and of being crap. Eventually the sheer weight of having a tonne of top 3 draft picks has to turn.

When Clarko came in he would have seen a bunch of talented kids ripe for him to mentor and follow him to rocket into finals within 2-3 years.

2020 - 17th, 3 wins
2021 - 18th, 4 wins
2022 - 18th, 2 wins
2023 - 17th, 3 wins
2024 - 18th*, 0 wins

* = after 7 completed rounds

Pressure should definitely be on, but the better question is whether he has the patience to stick around. He still has another 3 years of being crap before even being in top 8 territory.

And unlike his Hawks teams, despite all the talent they've accumulated, there are still several key pieces missing due to an imbalanced list build.

 

[CarnTheScray]

Carlton fans drooling about this. Bit weird.

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

They must want Good Friday as their home game.

 

[SSSSSS]

Clarko will always be a Hawthorn legend to the majority of Hawthorn members and fans, but it can’t be ignored what happened in the last few years of his reign with us, and then the fact that he burnt a lot of bridges with Hawks fans on the way out the way that he leaked all of the goings on with the suppose handover to Caro via his manager in order to scuttle the succession plan and get paid out.

We saw 'Northball' in the preseason. Fast flowing, attacking football.

Here I thought Clarkson has evolved. He's rejuvenated himself. He's embracing modern footy.

How wrong I was.

We saw yesterday the same old Clarko from his latter blunder years. Slow, boring, long down the line footy. High kicks to no one in particular inside 50 over the head of Larkey. Damage control football.

Helped preserve the margin in what should have been a 15 goal belting but it's soul sucking football. The players out there looked like they have zero confidence in themselves or the gameplan.

I wouldn't be surprised if he loses the players soon. They actually looked like they enjoyed their footy more under Ratts.

If Clarko keeps playing this way North Melbourne are going to lose a generation of young supporters and for a small club like North that could be a death knell.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I wouldn't be surprised if he loses the players soon. They actually looked like they enjoyed their footy more under Ratts.

They did, and were more competitive too.

 

[SSSSSS]

They did, and were more competitive too.

How nice it must be for players going into the game actually trying to win. Giving themselves a chance rather than trying to minimise a loss.

I was shocked to hear Clarko basically say in the press conference last night that 'winning isn't important'. This is from the most ruthless coach of the 21st century.

I would be absolutely seething if I was a North supporter.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

We saw 'Northball' in the preseason. Fast flowing, attacking football.

Here I thought Clarkson has evolved. He's rejuvenated himself. He's embracing modern footy.

How wrong I was.

We saw yesterday the same old Clarko from his latter blunder years. Slow, boring, long down the line footy. High kicks to no one in particular inside 50 over the head of Larkey. Damage control football.

Helped preserve the margin in what should have been a 15 goal belting but it's soul sucking football. The players out there looked like they have zero confidence in themselves or the gameplan.

I wouldn't be surprised if he loses the players soon. They actually looked like they enjoyed their footy more under Ratts.

If Clarko keeps playing this way North Melbourne are going to lose a generation of young supporters and for a small club like North that could be a death knell.

Ratts will never be in the all time great category, but he's better than he's given credit for IMO.

Coached two crap lists to multiple finals appearances, and ended up getting the arse because both coteries got sucked into the messiah coming in to fix everything.

To nobodys surprise, it didn't work. It's one thing to have your job taken from you like that once...the poor bugger had it happen twice.

 

[SSSSSS]

Ratts will never be in the all time great category, but he's better than he's given credit for IMO.

Coached two crap lists to multiple finals appearances, and ended up getting the arse because both coteries got sucked into the messiah coming in to fix everything.

To nobody's surprise, it didn't work. It's one thing to have your job taken from you like that once...the poor bugger had it happen twice.

He's much loved here at the Hawks. We were more than happy to have him back after he fell out with Clarko.

All the young kids rave about his input. I think he's going to do well for Sam and his young coaching groups development as well.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

North should move on to development coach . Clarkson has too much baggage and the game has gone past him imo.

 

[north_lad]

We saw 'Northball' in the preseason. Fast flowing, attacking football.

Here I thought Clarkson has evolved. He's rejuvenated himself. He's embracing modern footy.

How wrong I was.

We saw yesterday the same old Clarko from his latter blunder years. Slow, boring, long down the line footy. High kicks to no one in particular inside 50 over the head of Larkey. Damage control football.

Helped preserve the margin in what should have been a 15 goal belting but it's soul sucking football. The players out there looked like they have zero confidence in themselves or the gameplan.

I wouldn't be surprised if he loses the players soon. They actually looked like they enjoyed their footy more under Ratts.

If Clarko keeps playing this way North Melbourne are going to lose a generation of young supporters and for a small club like North that could be a death knell.

My friend asked me at the ground what we can do to fix where we are at and I am stumped. The players don't look like they back themselves to win a 1v1 contest, make a pass or kick a goal - let alone win a game. Something has to give

 

[SSSSSS]

My friend asked me at the ground what we can do to fix where we are at and I am stumped. The players don't look like they back themselves to win a 1v1 contest, make a pass or kick a goal - let alone win a game. Something has to give

Yeh they looked shot to pieces.

Players not going when it's their turn. Expecting someone else to do the job instead. Players calling for the ball when they shouldn't be just to get a kick (A deadset spud like Corr calling for the ball off a gun like Sheezel is criminal).

Lots of players out there looked like they were in self-preservation mode. Either trying to rack up stats to fatten up their contract or to save themselves from risk of injury.

Only a few players I saw who gave genuine effort were Xerri (although he is very limited, he does try hard, is a bit ball hungry which isn't helping your mids as his ruck craft is very poor), Sheezel, Comben and Curtis.

LDU looks absolutely checked out.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

My friend asked me at the ground what we can do to fix where we are at and I am stumped. The players don't look like they back themselves to win a 1v1 contest, make a pass or kick a goal - let alone win a game. Something has to give

It’s akin to how our players looked in the last couple of years with Clarkson. We played some absolutely slow and horrid games of footy in his last 2-3 years.

Similar to Hawks back then North fans know that the list is not this bad and should be able to play much better.

Kingy is right to start to question the coach.

 

[Philhawk]

The tackling statistics in that second quarter when Hawks were slamming on the goals really showed North up for a lack of effort.
I'm not sure their senior leaders set the right standards

Possibility the understatement of the year. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a poorer group of senior players.

 

[SSSSSS]

They were 6 goals down at half time....they needed to change something up to try to win, not to 'save the game'.

I didn't think it was a bad move at all, at least in theory. Larkey gets horribly swamped at the sole KPF target, and he got off the chain a bit more in the second half with Comben providing another focal point down there.

Nah. I'm not buying that.

Throw one of the losers like Biggie up forward to occupy space to release Larkey. He was getting absolutely smashed down back.

Why take off one of your winners in Comben and play him up forward to go cold. Comben had 4-5 intercept marks in the first half. In the second half he had 1 or 2 touches at most and a spoil?

Also I did LOL when I saw Comben begrudgingly rock up to the centre bounce to ruck. Forcing your injury prone KPP messiah into the ruck doesn't seem to be a very astute play. Clarko has truly jumped the shark.

 

[Sphynx]

Nah. I'm not buying that.

Throw one of the losers like Biggie up forward to occupy space to release Larkey. He was getting absolutely smashed down back.

Why take off one of your winners in Comben and play him up forward to go cold. Comben had 4-5 intercept marks in the first half. In the second half he had 1 or 2 touches at most and a spoil?

Also I did LOL when I saw Comben begrudgingly rock up to the centre bounce to ruck. Forcing your injury prone KPP messiah into the ruck doesn't seem to be a very astute play. Clarko has truly jumped the shark.

This is 100% what the move should have been.

Comben has been the #1 intercept and contested marking defender in the comp since hes come back.

Move one of the few pieces in the side genuinely working, for what?

A few disposals and a spoil and exposing the already thin KPD's to a mauling?


Unbelievable oversight from a "master coach"

 

[SSSSSS]

This is 100% what the move should have been.

Comben has been the #1 intercept and contested marking defender in the comp since hes come back.

Move one of the few pieces in the side genuinely working, for what?

A few disposals and a spoil and exposing the already thin KPD's to a mauling?


Unbelievable oversight from a "master coach"

The game was well and truly cooked when McKercher for some reason had to man up on Chol.

 

[smish]

How much is Clarkson on?

 

[SSSSSS]

How much is Clarkson on?

I've seen the low estimate being $1.1 million and the high estimate being $1.6million.

 

[Farang83150]

We are currently as bad as we have been in the past 5 years.

That is saying A LOT.

Never has a team been so incompetent and uncompetitive defensively. And I am sick of young individuals getting blamed - it is just a complete lack of team defence. They’ve all lost one on ones at times but honestly I’m prepared to say Sam Taylor would get a bag kicked on him at North right now.

I don’t think any coach could do a hell of a lot better, our list is awful and mismanaged; so many eggs in the midfielders as high draft picks basket.

However I do think Clarkson has Malthouse @ Carlton written all over him. A challenge insurmountable for their age & fatigue.
And I do think he is ignoring some obvious issues - Sheezel wasted in defence, but then our best key back prospect gets moved at half time to the forward/ruck, dropping Greenwood & Shiels when we clearly have too many kids on the field to be competitive (some of them will be better learning at VFL, poor Sellars has had 8 weeks on a list & then gets put key forward in this side - how’s that for his confidence?). He finally dropped Stephenson after a month but Stephens is just as soft & uncompetitive, you can’t have players like that at AFL level. Tucker & Fisher aren’t much better but can’t drop everyone.

Couldn't agree more re Clarkson but then again who was there (genuinely don't know what other head coach prospects were available or a chance at the time)
Not that I like it but I think the AFL's next move will be soft cap concessions, what else is there?
No point continually giving extra picks in an already comprised draft system and shafting other clubs in the process.
I gather Clarkson's on huge money?

 

[Farang83150]

I've seen the low estimate being $1.1 million and the high estimate being $1.6million.

Would he be the highest paid coach in the comp I wonder?

 

[smish]

I've seen the low estimate being $1.1 million and the high estimate being $1.6million.

Thanks SSSSSS.

Some eerie parallels between yesterdays game and the last 2/3 years at the HFC. Outdated gameplan, playing players out of position, questionable selection etc.
You've just got to hope he doesn't lose the players because frankly they look disinterested.

If that's the way it goes, it's sad the way it's ended.

 

[SSSSSS]

Would he be the highest paid coach in the comp I wonder?

Would be him or Dimma you would think.

Dimma was on close to 1 million a season at the Tiges and you would think the Gold Coast would have had to pay him a fortune to turn his head. I think Longmire and Adam Simpson are also quite well paid (both would be close to 7 figures).

 

[SSSSSS]

Thanks SSSSSS.

Some eerie parallels between yesterdays game and the last 2/3 years at the HFC. Outdated gameplan, playing players out of position, questionable selection etc.
You've just got to hope he doesn't lose the players because frankly they look disinterested.

If that's the way it goes, it's sad the way it's ended.

If there is any saving grace at least they are chipping it around the boundary and kicking it long to Larkey rather than Puopolo.

God I cringe at the days when Clarkson played a 173cm Paul Puopolo (a gun small forward) as our full forward.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

I just think there's Malthouse at Carlton vibes about this.

Of course you can only work with what you have, but the game has probably passed Clarko by imo.

I feel for Roos fans it's been (it's still more recent than Carlton!) a quarter of a century since their last flag win, and it looks like they still have a couple of more years of crap to endure as well.

Going for a full on rebuild probably was a risky move when you are a club with a small supporter base.

The reality is that the Roos have been basement dwellers for half a decade now, and competing for finals still seems to be a long way off for them.

The scary thing here is that they could easily have been in the running for a fifth spoon in a row this year!