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And he was dealing with the not inconsiderable daily challenges that every AFL senior coach faces. North are confident he will return to coaching this year,without a timeline,as the experienced and well-liked Brett Ratten takes over as interim coach.
The pressure on Clarkson had built and built. North Melbourne insiders who had seen the alpha coach only with the mask – he had not wished to allow his emotions to overflow before the players – recognised that the emotions were bubbling up,like lava,after hisoutspoken media conference a week ago,last Thursday,when he condemned Hawthorn’s conduct as “shameful” and questioned why the Hawks had not been investigated themselves.
Clarkson had been incensed,too,by the release of information by the AFL panel,chaired by Bernard Quinn,KC,that explainedwhy the investigation had reached this impasse – largely because Clarkson and his former colleagues from Hawthorn,Lions coach Fagan and welfare manager Burt,had been unable to get access to Hawthorn documents that were said to be relevant to their case,on privacy grounds.
While the club leadership knew what Clarkson was dealing with and these multiple fronts,they still did not expect his decision on Wednesday.
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Yet,they were also not shocked by this turn of events – the most dramatic moment since the ABC first published the allegations against Clarkson,Fagan and Burt,based on a cultural safety review by Phil Egan that had created an emotional wave of its own,as the players’ troubling allegations were aired.
Whatever one’s position on the Hawthorn allegations and investigation,there is a near-consensus that the process has been,in McLachlan’s words to club CEOs,“a mess” and that it has dragged on for far too long without resolution;it might well not end to the satisfaction of any party,either. Hawthorn signalled long ago that they were willing to settle with the players and partners.
Clarkson’s decision was about his state,rather than the state of the investigation,which is more favourable to him than when the allegations detonated,prompting him to delay starting his job at North. AFL officials wondered why he was taking time out,given the finish line of the investigation seemed in sight.
But the coach who was renowned for never letting up,for relentless pursuits of players that saw him fly acoss the United States and for never backing down,finally gave himself and his family a break.