Clarkson speaks on ‘disturbing’ effect of coach axings
Oliver Caffrey |
Four-time AFL premiership winner Alastair Clarkson has expressed his frustration at the “disturbing” effect a coach moving on mid-season can have.
Just two days after Michael Voss’ departure from Carlton, North Melbourne coach Clarkson believes the “ripple effect” of change at the Blues has already been enormous.
Voss decided to quit with Carlton struggling at 1-8, guaranteeing he would not be offered a new contract.
“As coaches, we just don’t like what it does to the industry when a coach goes mid-season,” Clarkson said on Thursday.
“Not only is it not great for the coach and his family, and a lot of cases the club, it just causes a ripple effect right through the competition … it just creates undue speculation for mine.
“It’s sort of disturbing for everyone in the industry when these sorts of things happen to other clubs – and it’s happened here too, not suggesting it doesn’t happen everywhere.
“But it just creates all this noise around player movement and instability of the whole industry.
“It affects one club significantly, but the ripple effect right through the competition is just an unfortunate part of it.”
Carlton are likely to lean towards choosing a first-time coach among the batch of assistants already in the AFL, rather than an experienced leader who has been in charge before.
North assistants Xavier Clarke and Michael Barlow have previously been talked up as potential senior coaches.
“We’ve got some great assistant coaches at this footy club,” Clarkson said.
“Unfortunately, the lay of the land is they’re probably not going to get recognised truly, despite their great work, until this side starts elevating itself as a footy team.
“Once we get there, then I’m sure our assistants are going to be in very high demand.”
Clarkson revealed an AFL coaches WhatsApp group had lit up in support of Voss this week.
“Vossy is a pretty revered figure in the game, and he’d have some people that he’d been really closely linked with at Brisbane, Port Adelaide and Carlton,” he said.
“They’ll be the ones that will be providing the most support and then the coaching cohort is just really hope you go well with whatever you choose to do next.
“It’s a pretty uncomfortable time for everyone in the industry.”
AAP