Alastair Thomas Clarkson (born 27 April 1968) is an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also ...

. He was previously the head coach of the

Hawthorn Football Club 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 Hawt ...

in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

(AFL) from 2005 to 2021 where he won 4 premierships (2008, 2013,2014,2015). Hailing from the small town of

Kaniva, Victoria Kaniva is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway, north of Little Desert National Park, in the Shire of West Wimmera local government area. It is located roughly east of the South Australian border and east of Bo ...

, Clarkson played eleven seasons of AFL football – nine for

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...

(1987–1995) followed by two for

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

(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 Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Werribee recorded a population of 50,027 at the 2021 census. Werribee i ...

(2000), head coach of

SANFL The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport. Originally formed as the ...

club Central District (2001–2002), and assistant coach at

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...

(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 Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

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.

Early life

Clarkson grew up in the small rural town of

Kaniva Kaniva is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway, north of Little Desert National Park, in the Shire of West Wimmera local government area. It is located roughly east of the South Australian border and east of Bo ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. He moved to

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

at the age of 14 to board at

Ballarat Clarendon College Ballarat Clarendon College is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Formerly affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of Australia, it now operates in association with the Uniting Ch ...

, 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.

Playing career

North Melbourne

Clarkson was recruited by the

, where he made his

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

debut in round 15 of the 1987 season against

, kicking the winning goal after the siren. Clarkson was 19 and at the end of his first season with North Melbourne when the Kangaroos met

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

in October 1987 in the controversial "Battle of Britain", an exhibition match at

The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. 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. He played mainly as a half-forward and stood at 171 cm, 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 Wayne Schwass (born 27 November 1968) is a former professional Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He is notable as being the first New Zealand–born AFL player known to be of Māori people, Māori heritage. He holds ...

Anthony Stevens Anthony Stevens (born 2 July 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Kangaroos. He was named as ruck rover in the club's official 'Team of the Century'. Stevens was a member of North Melbourne premiershi ...

and

Anthony Rock Anthony Rock (born 29 September 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne and Hawthorn in the VFL/AFL. Junior career Rock played his junior football at St Dominic's Junior FC—a club that later folded due ...

. He played 93 games with the Kangaroos for 61 goals in his nine seasons until 1995. During his playing days with North Melbourne, Clarkson was employed by

Wesley College, Melbourne , motto_translation = Dare To Be Wise , slogan = A ''True'' Education (2010 – Present) , established = 18 January 1866 , type = Independent, day & boarding , gender ...

, as a physical education teacher.

Melbourne

With limited opportunity at the Kangaroos, Clarkson was traded to the

Melbourne Football Club The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. It is based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...

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. Clarkson served as a runner with the Melbourne Football Club in 1998.

Coaching career

St Kilda Football Club assistant coach

Clarkson was an assistant coach under senior coach

Tim Watson Timothy Michael Watson (born 13 July 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). After retiring from the game, he has continued working in the Australian footb ...

at the

St Kilda Football Club The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed the Saints, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier league. The club ...

in 1999.

Werribee Football Club head coach

Clarkson took over as head coach at

in the VFL in 2000.

Central District Football Club senior coach

He moved to Central District in South Australia, where he was premiership coach in his debut year 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.

Port Adelaide Football Club assistant coach

In 2003, Clarkson became an assistant coach in the position of midfield coach at

Port Adelaide Football Club Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, Alberton, South Australia. The club's senior men's team plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), where they are nicknamed ...

under senior coach Mark Williams and was part of their coaching team in the club's 2004 premiership.

Hawthorn Football Club senior coach (2005–2021)

Clarkson was appointed to his first senior

(AFL) coaching role for the 2005 season when the

Hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily a ...

appointed him to lead their rebuilding phase. Clarkson replaced Hawthorn Football Club caretaker senior coach Donald McDonald, who replaced

Peter Schwab Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

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. Clarkson was prepared to delist older players and introduce a youth policy. Club veterans

Rayden Tallis Rayden Tallis (born 9 June 1975) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the AFL. Tallis made his Hawthorn debut in 1994 and earned a Rising Star nomination late in the season. He usually played in the back pock ...

, Mark Graham,

Kris Barlow Kris Barlow (born 15 July 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Australian Football League (AFL). AFL career Drafted at the age of 25 from Vermont, picked up at 86 in the 1998 National Draft, Barlow was ...

Luke McCabe Luke McCabe (born 10 August 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Australian Football League (AFL) and Central District in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). McCabe was a small defen ...

and

Lance Picioane Lance Picioane (born 7 June 1980) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Adelaide, Hawthorn and the Kangaroos during his time in the Australian Football League (AFL). Picioane attended Essendon Grammar and was captain of the Vi ...

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. Another round of culling saw the delisting of

Angelo Lekkas Angelo Lekkas (born 29 June 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer who played his entire professional career with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). After a stellar year playing in the TAC competition wit ...

and

Nick Holland Nick Holland (born 29 July 1974) is a former professional Australian rules football player who played 179 games for Australian Football League (AFL) club Hawthorn between 1994 and 2005, serving as Vice Captain between 1999 and 2003. Holland is ...

and the trade of Jonathan Hay and

Nathan Lonie Nathan Lonie (born 4 March 1983) is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. The identical twin brother of Collingwood player Ryan Lonie, the two Lonies not only share identical looks but share very similar footb ...

. Clarkson brought to the club delisted players

Brent Guerra Brent Guerra (born 29 May 1982) is a former Australian rules football player who played with the Port Adelaide Football Club, St Kilda Football Club, and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. Career Port Adelaide Begin ...

and

Stephen Gilham Stephen Gilham (born 2 September 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club, Hawthorn Football Club and Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). He no ...

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". 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. 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 Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

in an elimination final, before being eliminated in a semi-final against

. Clarkson went against his own policy on draft day 2007 when, in addition to youngster

Cyril Rioli Cyril Rioli (born 14 July 1989) is a former Australian rules football player who played with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. Rioli was a member of four premiership teams and the Norm Smith Medallist from the 2015 ...

, he recruited the recently retired

Stuart Dew Stuart Dew (born 18 August 1979) is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL). As a player he played for the Port Adelaide Football Cl ...

, 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 The 2008 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between the Geelong Football Club and the Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 2008. It was the 112th annual grand fi ...

, when Hawthorn defeated

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. 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. 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. 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 in Round 6, 2010 after which the entire club came under scrutiny, 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 Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

in the first week of the 2010 elimination final. 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. In the 2012 season, Clarkson coached Hawthorn to the

2012 AFL Grand Final The 2012 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 29 September 2012. It was the 117th annual grand final of the Australian Football ...

, but fell short and lost to

Sydney Swans The Sydney Swans are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney, New South Wales. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Swans also field a reser ...

by a margin of 10 points with the final score Hawthorn 11.15 (81) to Sydney Swans 14.7 (91). In the 2013 season, Clarkson again led the Hawks to another premiership win, this time over in the

2013 AFL Grand Final The 2013 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between Hawthorn Football Club and Fremantle Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 28 September 2013. It was the 118th annual grand final of the Australian Footb ...

with the score Hawthorn 11.11 (77) to Fremantle 8.14 (62). Clarkson's additions of players with

Shaun Burgoyne Shaun Playford Burgoyne (born 21 October 1982) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the SANFL, and Port Adelaide and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Burgoyne ...

and

Josh Gibson Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. In 1972, he became the se ...

who arrived in 2010, David Hale in 2011,

Jack Gunston Jack Gunston (born 16 October 1991) is a professional Australian footballer who plays for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). Early life Gunston was raised in Melbourne in Beaumaris and attended Haileybury College, play ...

in 2012 and

Brian Lake Brian Lake (né Harris; 27 February 1982) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He now plays for his local club Caroline S ...

in 2013, had a significant impact on the club. In 2013, Clarkson became only the third man behind John Kennedy, Sr. and

Allan Jeans Allan Lindsay Jeans (21 September 1933 – 13 July 2011) was an Australian rules footballer and coach. He was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame at its inception in 1996. Jeans was known for his oratory and motivation skills as a ...

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. Clarkson has been coach of the Australian team in the

International Rules Series The International Rules Series is a senior men's international rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team (selected by the Australian Football League) and the Ireland international rules football team (s ...

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 Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. Typically, both sides of the body are involved, and the initial symptoms are changes in sensation or pain often ...

. Assistant coach

Brendon Bolton Brendon Bolton (born 18 April 1979) 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 ...

became the interim senior coach for five matches, winning every game in Clarkson's absence. 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. and coached Hawthorn to their 12th premiership win when they defeated

21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74) in the

2014 AFL Grand Final The 2014 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September 2014. It was the 119th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football ...

. This placed him alongside Allan Jeans and John Kennedy Sr as Hawthorn's most successful premiership winning coaches, with three premierships each. In the 2015 season, Clarkson coached Hawthorn to their third straight flag in the

2015 AFL Grand Final The 2015 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the West Coast Eagles at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 3 October 2015. It was the 120th annual Grand Final of the Australian F ...

, when Hawthorn defeated

West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 as one of two expansion teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known as the Victorian Football ...

16.11 (107) to 8.13 (61). This made Clarkson Hawthorn's most successful coach, and tying

Leigh Matthews Leigh Raymond Matthews (born 1 March 1952) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and coached and the . Squat, short-legged and barrel-chested, Matthews earned the ic ...

as the only coaches to win three straight premierships in the 21st century. 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 The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition. Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...

in the semi-final. 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. In the 2018 season, The Hawks under Clarkson returned to the finals when they finished fourth on the ladder, but were eliminated by

in the semi-final. In the 2019 season, the Hawks under Clarkson finished ninth on the ladder and therefore just missed out of the finals. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

North Melbourne Football Club senior coach (2023–)

After David Noble was sacked as senior coach of North Melbourne and caretaker senior coach

Leigh Adams Leigh Scott Adams (born 28 April 1971 in Mildura, Victoria)Oakes, P.(2004). ''British Speedway Who's Who''. is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider. He is a multiple Speedway Grand Prix winner and World Team Champion. He also w ...

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.

Clarkson proteges

A number of Clarkson's assistants have gone on to coach at senior level in the AFL *

Damien Hardwick Damien Patrick Hardwick (born 18 August 1972) is an Australian rules football coach and former player. He is the senior coach of the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) since 2010, and has the longest continuous servi ...

, (2010–present;

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

and 2020 premiership coach) *

Todd Viney Todd Viney (born 30 March 1966) 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 in the VFL/AFL, and he ...

, (2011 caretaker coach) *

Leon Cameron Leon Cameron (born 2 September 1972) is a former Australian rules footballer who is the former senior coach of the Greater Western Sydney Giants (GWS) in the Australian Football League (AFL). His AFL playing career lasted from 1990 to 2003 an ...

, (2014–2022) *

Adam Simpson Adam Simpson (born 16 February 1976) is a former Australian rules footballer who is the current premiership coach of the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). A left-footed midfielder, his playing career for spanned from ...

, (2014–present; 2018 premiership coach) *

Luke Beveridge Luke Beveridge (born 23 August 1970) 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 head coach of the Western Bulldogs.< ...

, (2015–present; 2016 premiership coach) * John Barker, (2015 caretaker coach) *

, (2014 caretaker coach), (2016–2019)¹ * Chris Fagan, (2017–present) *

Brett Ratten Brett Ratten (born 11 July 1971) 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 ...

, (2019 caretaker coach, 2020–2022)² * Sam Mitchell, (2022–)³ *

Craig McRae Craig McRae (born 22 September 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer and the current senior coach of the Collingwood Football Club. Playing career Originally from South Australian National Football League club Glenelg, McRae was draf ...

, , (2022–) *

Adem Yze Adem Yze ( ; born 21 September 1977)MelbourneFC.com.aPlayer Profile – Adem Yze, ''Official AFL Website of the Melbourne Football Club'', 12 August 2008. is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club in th ...

, (2022 caretaker coach)⁴ * Scott Burns, (2022 caretaker coach)⁵ 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 Simon Goodwin (born 26 December 1976) is an Australian rules football coach and former player. He has been the senior coach of the Melbourne Football Club of the Australian Football League (AFL) since 2017. As a player, Goodwin tallied 275 AFL ...

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 Matthew Nicks (born 13 May 1975) is a former professional Australian Football League player and currently the senior coach of the Adelaide Football Club. He was recruited from the West Adelaide Football Club to the Sydney Swans with the 21st ...

for one match in round 8, 2022, due to Nicks entering the AFL's health and safety protocols.

Statistics

Playing statistics

: , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 57 , , 8 , , 7 , , 8 , , 67 , , 34 , , 101 , , 15 , , 4 , , 0.9 , , 1.0 , , 8.4 , , 4.3 , , 12.6 , , 1.9 , , 0.5 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 19 , , 34 , , 23 , , 230 , , 99 , , 329 , , 102 , , 12 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , 12.1 , , 5.2 , , 17.3 , , 5.4 , , 0.6 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 13 , , 8 , , 11 , , 136 , , 63 , , 199 , , 40 , , 13 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 10.5 , , 4.8 , , 15.3 , , 3.1 , , 1.0 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 7 , , 2 , , 7 , , 74 , , 30 , , 104 , , 21 , , 5 , , 0.3 , , 1.0 , , 10.6 , , 4.3 , , 14.9 , , 3.0 , , 0.7 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 5 , , 1 , , 3 , , 31 , , 30 , , 61 , , 10 , , 0 , , 0.2 , , 0.6 , , 6.2 , , 6.0 , , 12.2 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 10 , , 2 , , 3 , , 85 , , 62 , , 147 , , 24 , , 10 , , 0.2 , , 0.3 , , 8.5 , , 6.2 , , 14.7 , , 2.4 , , 1.0 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 14 , , 1 , , 2 , , 98 , , 60 , , 158 , , 16 , , 18 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 7.0 , , 4.3 , , 11.3 , , 1.1 , , 1.3 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 14 , , 6 , , 3 , , 119 , , 67 , , 186 , , 20 , , 23 , , 0.4 , , 0.2 , , 8.5 , , 4.8 , , 13.3 , , 1.4 , , 1.6 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 3 , , 0 , , 2 , , 10 , , 7 , , 17 , , 2 , , 1 , , 0.0 , , 0.7 , , 3.3 , , 2.3 , , 5.7 , , 0.7 , , 0.3 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 22 , , 13 , , 12 , , 369 , , 150 , , 519 , , 107 , , 35 , , 0.6 , , 0.5 , , 16.8 , , 6.8 , , 23.6 , , 4.9 , , 1.6 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 23 , , 19 , , 11 , , 1 , , 202 , , 88 , , 290 , , 61 , , 28 , , 0.6 , , 0.1 , , 10.6 , , 4.6 , , 15.3 , , 3.2 , , 1.5 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 134 !! 85 !! 75 !! 1421 !! 690 !! 2111 !! 418 !! 149 !! 0.6 !! 0.6 !! 10.6 !! 5.1 !! 15.8 !! 3.1 !! 1.1

Coaching statistics

:''Statistics are correct to the end of 2021'' , - ,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, , , 22 , , 5 , , 17 , , 0 , , 22.7% , , 14 , , 16 , - ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, , , 22 , , 9 , , 13 , , 0 , , 40.9% , , 11 , , 16 , - ,

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, , , 24 , , 14 , , 10 , , 0 , , 58.3% , , 5 , , 16 , - , bgcolor="F0E68C" ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

^# , , , 25 , , 20 , , 5 , , 0 , , 80.0% , , 2 , , 16 , - ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, , , 22 , , 9 , , 13 , , 0 , , 40.9% , , 9 , , 16 , - ,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, , , 23 , , 12 , , 10 , , 1 , , 52.2% , , 7 , , 16 , - ,

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

, , , 25 , , 19 , , 6 , , 0 , , 76.0% , , 3 , , 17 , - ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, , , 25 , , 19 , , 6 , , 0 , , 76.0% , , 1 , , 18 , - , bgcolor="F0E68C" ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

^# , , , 25 , , 22 , , 3 , , 0 , , 88.0% , , 1 , , 18 , - , bgcolor="F0E68C" ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

^#^ , , , 20 , , 15 , , 5 , , 0 , , 75.0% , , 2 , , 18 , - , bgcolor="F0E68C" ,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

^# , , , 26 , , 19 , , 7 , , 0 , , 73.1% , , 3 , , 18 , - ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, , , 24 , , 17 , , 7 , , 0 , , 70.8% , , 3 , , 18 , - ,

, , , 22 , , 10 , , 11 , , 1 , , 45.5% , , 12 , , 18 , - ,

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, , , 24 , , 15 , , 9 , , 0 , , 62.5% , , 4 , , 18 , - ,

, , , 22 , , 11 , , 11 , , 0 , , 50.0% , , 9 , , 18 , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, , , 17 , , 5 , , 12 , , 0 , , 29.4% , , 15 , , 18 , - ,

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, , , 22 , , 7 , , 13 , , 2 , , 31.8% , , 14 , , 18 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=2, Career totals ! 390 !! 228 !! 158 !! 4 !! 58.5% ! colspan=2, ''^ Due to illness, Clarkson was unavailable for senior coaching for five matches in 2014.

coached Hawthorn in those five matches from round 11–15 (all of which Hawthorn won).''

Honours and achievements

Team * 4× AFL premiership coach ():

* 2× Minor premiership ():

* SANFL premiership coach ( Central District):

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

* 2× Minor premiership ( Central District):

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

Individual * 4× Jock McHale Medal:

* 4×

All-Australian team The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-perf ...

* 2×

Australia international rules football team :''This article concerns the men's team; for information on the Australian women's team, see Australia women's international rules football team.'' The Australia international rules football team is Australia's senior representative team in Inte ...

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

life member

Temperament

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 Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...

, Clarkson was fined $15,000 for confronting and threatening

Matthew Lloyd Matthew James Lloyd (born 16 April 1978) is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A highly decorated full-forward, Lloyd's AFL's honours include ...

after Lloyd had flattened Hawthorn's

Brad Sewell Brad Sewell (born 2 February 1984) is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. Early life Sewell played junior football at the Newlyn Football Club which is part of ...

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. 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 The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...

coaches' box during an AFL match. In May 2013, Clarkson again created controversy after calling AFL Media journalist Matt Thompson a "cockhead". 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.

Personal life

Clarkson holds a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

from

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...

, and also a Bachelor of Sports Science. Clarkson is married with three children.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarkson, Alastair Hawthorn Football Club coaches Hawthorn Football Club Premiership coaches North Melbourne Football Club players Melbourne Football Club players Central District Football Club coaches Werribee Football Club coaches All-Australian coaches 1968 births Living people Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia) Australia international rules football team coaches People with Guillain–Barré syndrome Four-time VFL/AFL Premiership coaches