Alastair Clarkson has reportedly additional strained his relationship with former Hawthorn premiership captain Sam Mitchell with a narrative that has been swirling across the recreation.
The reported unhealthy blood between the four-time premiership coach and his former lieutenant has continued to worsen in recent times following the ill-fated succession plan that noticed Mitchell substitute Clarkson one season early at Hawthorn.
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A report by veteran soccer journalist Caroline Wilson on Monday evening recommended Clarkson has raised eyebrows by repeatedly criticising Mitchell’s early grand last performances whereas giving a speech to AFL academy prospects.
The Herald Sun first reported particulars of the speech Clarkson gave to the teenage gamers final week.
Wilson mentioned Clarkson commonly tells the story of Mitchell’s rise from his early struggles to turning into a legend of the soccer membership in a doable try to inspire rising younger footballers.
However, Wilson mentioned on Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Monday evening the re-telling of the story has not gone down effectively with Mitchell or his former soccer membership.
“My understanding is that this is a story Alastair Clarkson tells often,” she mentioned.
“You can treat it as a redemption story that Sam didn’t play well in a couple of grand finals before becoming one of the great premiership heroes of the Hawthorn Football Club.
“This is not the way it has been seen by the Hawthorn Football Club or Sam Mitchell.
“The speech went for a long time … a lot longer than even they expected. Various versions have come out of that meeting, some say it was a redemption version, others say words like ‘selfish’ were used by Clarkson in relation to Mitchell.
“It has fragmented a footy club. Frankly, it’s fragmented a premiership dynasty because I think people are starting to take sides now. Are you a Clarkson man or are you a Mitchell man?
“Mitchell, up until now, has taken the moral high ground, he hasn’t actually said much. I predict that might change this week.”
She mentioned Mitchell has not answered cellphone calls from Clarkson whereas the 55-year-old makes an attempt to elucidate why he has continued to inform the story.
Mitchell has beforehand spoken about his relationship with Clarkson, together with in his autobiography Relentless, the place he shared a textual content from the coach in 2011 questioning the final time he “played well” in a last.
“I really enjoyed working with Clarko for most of the time,” Mitchell mentioned on 6PR when the ebook was launched in 2018.
“I think the book goes into a few rough details, like most good honest relationships that you build – not everything is smooth sailing.
Mitchell was eventually traded to West Coast in 2016, where he went on to begin his coaching career before landing as Clarkson’s replacement at Hawthorn.
Ahead of the team’s showdown earlier this season it was reported the pair still have “no great relationship to speak of”.
Mitchell mentioned final week he was unhappy to listen to of recommendations Clarkson wouldn’t be attending the membership’s 10-year reunion for the premiership received in 2013.
Source: www.news.com.au
