Alastair Clarkson

Alastair Thomas Clarkson (born 27 April 1968 ) is a former Australian rules football coach and player. He was the head coach of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 2023 to 2026 and the Hawthorn Football Club from 2005 to 2021, where he won four premierships (2008, 2013, 2014, 2015).

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.

Early life Clarkson grew up in the small rural town of Kaniva, Victoria. He moved to Ballarat at the age of 14 to board at Ballarat Clarendon College, 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 North Melbourne Football Club, where he made his Victorian Football League debut in round 15 of the 1987 season against Melbourne, 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 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.

Coaching career

St Kilda Football Club assistant coach Clarkson was an assistant coach under senior coach Tim Watson at the St Kilda Football Club in 1999. 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. 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. 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". 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 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.

Clarkson's additions of players with Shaun Burgoyne and Josh Gibson who arrived in 2010, David Hale in 2011, Jack Gunston in 2012 and Brian Lake in 2013, had a significant impact on the club.

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. Assistant coach Brendon Bolton 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 Sydney Swans 21.11 (137) to 11.8 (74) in the 2014 AFL Grand Final. This placed him alongside Allan Jeans and John Kennedy Sr as Hawthorn's most successful premiership winning coaches, with three premierships each. 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.

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. 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 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.

North Melbourne Football Club senior coach (2023–2026) 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.

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. 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.

Clarkson was sacked as senior coach of the North Melbourne Football Club in September 2026 at the end of the 2026 AFL season after North Melbourne failed to qualify for finals.

Clarkson proteges

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 13 out of 14 AFL Grand Finals and won 11 out of 14 AFL premierships since 2012. Damien Hardwick, (2010–2023; 2017, 2019 and 2020 premiership coach), (2024–present) Todd Viney, (2011 caretaker coach) Leon Cameron, (2014–2022) Adam Simpson, (2014–2024; 2018 premiership coach) Luke Beveridge, (2015–present; 2016 premiership coach) John Barker, (2015 caretaker coach) Brendon Bolton, (2014 caretaker coach), (2016–2019)1 Chris Fagan, (2017–present; 2024-2025 premiership coach) Brett Ratten, (2019 caretaker coach, 2020–2022),2 (2023 interim coach)6 Sam Mitchell, (2022–)3 Craig McRae, , (2022–; 2023 premiership coach) Adem Yze, (2022 caretaker coach),4 (2024–) 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 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.

Statistics Playing statistics

134 !! 85 !! 75 !! 1421 !! 690 !! 2111 !! 418 !! 149 !! 0.6 !! 0.6 !! 10.6 !! 5.1 !! 15.8 !! 3.1 !! 1.1 !! 5

Head coaching record Updated to the end of round 16, 2026.

Honours and achievements Team 4× AFL premiership coach : 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015 2× Minor premiership : 2012, 2013 SANFL premiership coach (Central District): 2001 2× Minor premiership (Central District): 2001, 2002

Individual 4× Jock McHale Medal: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015 4× All-Australian team: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015 2× Australia international rules football team: 2014, 2015

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, 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.

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.

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.

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".

In May 2024, Clarkson was investigated for, and ultimately cleared of, verbally abusing umpires during North Melbourne's loss to Port Adelaide.

Personal life

Clarkson holds a Master of Business Administration from Monash University, and also a Bachelor of Sports Science. Clarkson is married with three children.