Lord Clarkson has Spoken

[bornadog]

ALASTAIR CLARKSON DISMISSES DRAFT REBUILD, ADMITS FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE AFL

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has lashed the AFL for not providing details on what list sizes will look like next year and once again declared his scepticism of the draft.

The Hawks became the first team to lose to Adelaide in 2020 on Tuesday evening and were comfortably beaten by the 0-13 side.

A frustrated Clarkson believes the AFL should have already given clubs clarity on list sizes for 2021, with cuts expected given the impact of COVID-19.

"I can't understand what the delay is on that," the Hawthorn coach said post-game.

"So please, AFL, give us some information. We need it badly."


Hawthorn has repeatedly been urged to rebuild via the draft by experts and greats of the club given their ageing list and 2020 struggles.


Clarkson however believes the AFL has created a draft system so compromised by Academy access that clubs can’t rebuild using it.


Numerous top prospects in the 2020 National Draft are already bound to clubs thanks to the Academy systems, including likely number one pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs) via the Next Generation Academy and Braeden Campbell (Sydney) via the Sydney Academy.

"It's a bug-bear of mine ... this talk of maybe Queensland getting the Grand Final and wouldn't it be great for the code up there," Clarkson said.

"Yet there's two clubs up there that get the whole state in terms of access to junior talent.

"Sydney and GWS share the whole of New South Wales in terms of any talent that comes through that state. And Brisbane and Gold Coast do it to the north.

"When there's that sort of compromise in what is meant to be an equal national competition, it makes it very, very difficult to find the talent necessary to give yourself a really good chance.

"Gold Coast has got access to parts of Northern Territory as well so any significant Aboriginal talent like Cyril Rioli is going to come through the Gold Coast system.


"That is going to make it enormously difficult for a lot of other clubs like North Melbourne and us ... to find our path back.

"It's sounding like I am sooking about whether we can bounce and we will, but it just makes it more difficult.

"People say 'oh, why don't you just rebuild, just go to the draft'.

"You can't go to the draft, it's so compromised.

"So you have to do it with other mechanisms, free agency, depths of your rookie lists."

The AFL will reportedly make changes to Next Generation Academy access in future years, making at least the first round of the draft less compromised.

[Grantysghost]

He decides to top up with guys like Ricky Henderson and then lobbies the AFL to get rid of academies.
This guy.
I agree to a point regarding academies, but they're not the reason the Hawks are the worst side in the land right now.

The hubris of picking up broken guys like Scully, Patton, O'Meara and thinking your incredible medical staff will fix them is more like it. They got them cheap, but they stifle development.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

He decides to top up with guys like Ricky Henderson and then lobbies the AFL to get rid of academies.
This guy.
I agree to a point regarding academies, but they're not the reason the Hawks are the worst side in the land right now.

The hubris of picking up broken guys like Scully, Patton, O'Meara and thinking your incredible medical staff will fix them is more like it. They got them cheap, but they stifle development.

Oh well the hawks could turn into the next essendon. So long as they're pointing the finger at someone else rather than having a look in the mirror, they'll hover around mediocre for, oh I don't know, at least 5,841 days

[The Pie Man]

Colossal windbag

Laying the groundwork for future losing seasons …..because a few gun juniors are reserved?

[mjp]

He's not wrong with his comments about the compromised nature of the draft.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

He's not wrong with his comments about the compromised nature of the draft.

No he's not at all. I agree with him there. But his reasoning as to why their list is in it's current state is a little flawed.

[The Pie Man]

He's not wrong with his comments about the compromised nature of the draft.

I don't agree with these comments.

"People say 'oh, why don't you just rebuild, just go to the draft'.

"You can't go to the draft, it's so compromised.'

Yes, it's clearly compromised. You can absolutely still rebuild through it.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

He's not wrong with his comments about the compromised nature of the draft.

Not at all. The AFL went down a slippery slope first in offering special access to local talent in NSW & Qld, and then in allocating other states zone access.
Just scrap it all and have an uncompromised draft........just not before we get JUH!

[Grantysghost]

He's not wrong with his comments about the compromised nature of the draft.

No, but he wouldn't be saying it if their clearly planned strategy to move on guys early and bring in others not via the draft worked. They chose that path, where others havent. He's deflecting his worst ever loss. My favourite part was lumping himself in with the likes of North Melbourne. One has 80k members and three flags in the last 7 years and the other is permanently on the drip.
It sounds like I'm defending the compromised draft, I'm not. Just aghast at this guys constant woe is me attitude when it's not going his way. Whether it be a wall, the umpires, the draft .... Maybe thats why he's so successful just can't accept failure.

[Grantysghost]

Not at all. The AFL went down a slippery slope first in offering special access to local talent in NSW & Qld, and then in allocating other states zone access.
Just scrap it all and have an uncompromised draft........just not before we get JUH!

Yes! Do what they want after the JUHdgement day.

[Grantysghost]

I don't agree with these comments.

"People say 'oh, why don't you just rebuild, just go to the draft'.

"You can't go to the draft, it's so compromised.'

Yes, it's clearly compromised. You can absolutely still rebuild through it.

Tigers have Balta, Bolton, Baker, Higgins, Aarts, Chol, Stack etc all playing regularly from recent drafts.

[Mofra]

I don't think it's a "one or the other" approach. The Saints went to the draft and picked up Hunter Clark, Nick Coffield, and Max King - then in one season the hit the trade hard with Ryder, Jones, Hill, and Butler and they've rocketed up the ladder.

I think we've drafted well and we have been chasing mature talent too (Bruce and Keith, and we chased class ahead of the ball in Martin and Wingard, and asked about Tippa). Any criticism of Clarkson is the balance of trading vs drafting seems way off at the Hawks, and their most promising young player before Day fell into their lap as a FS was shipped off to Port as part of the Wingard trade (Burton). They did well with Worpel as a late pick, but every club has a late pick success they can point to.

[GVGjr]

Tigers have Balta, Bolton, Baker, Higgins, Aarts, Chol, Stack etc all playing regularly from recent drafts.

Not really a heap of top end talent either. The Tigers have done well developing their talent from the picks they have

[Remi Moses]

Very hawthorn of clarko
Sense of entitlement 101
They backed in their “ great “ medical team with those players . Scully isn’t a patch on his GWS days and Patton is riddled with injuries
O’meara’s knees look like they’re hindering him and Henderson’s a one season wonder

[Rocket Science]

I look forward to regular deflective bellyaching from Clarko for as long as Hawthorn are shit ... seasoned with doses of Kennett's haughty, undermining schtick.