Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has rubbished a report suggesting that senior figures at the club want Alastair Clarkson to relinquish his position as senior coach at season’s end.
Fox Footy’s Tom Morris reported on Tuesday night that people high up at the Hawks “have a strong preference” for Sam Mitchell to replace Clarkson as senior coach next year.
Hawthorn announced last week that four-time premiership coach Clarkson will see out the final year of his contract, before handing over the coaching reins to Mitchell from 2023.
“I can’t put a face to Tom Morris. I don’t know who he is,” Kennett told SEN Breakfast.
“Suffice to say, this is typical of sports journalists of which there are thousands, and they're all trying to create their own story and they put something out there without any proof.
“The decision by the board was unanimous. We discussed it for a long, long time but came to an absolute unanimous decision.
“His comments are just wrong.
“Secondly, I have no idea who he’s talking to. I haven’t had one person come to me with that suggestion.”
Kennett is confident that the senior coaching handover involving Clarkson and Mitchell will prove a success.
“They’re both mature men,” he said.
“‘Clarko’ will be our coach next year. He will have his staff around him. Sam will continue as both development coach at Hawthorn, but also his role as coach of Box Hill.
“The reason we made him coach of Box Hill this year was to give him added experience in managing a team himself directly – which he will eventually do when ‘Clarko’ leaves at the end of next year.
“The club understands precisely what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.
“If we can get another year developing Sam, he will make an excellent coach – hungry to deliver as ‘Clarko’ was in 2004 when he came to us.”
Clarkson has pledged that he will see out the final year of his contract at Hawthorn amid links to Carlton and Collingwood.
Sitting 17th on the ladder, the Hawks (4-12) take on ladder-leaders Melbourne (13-3) at the MCG on Saturday.
