Veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson is not backing down from her comments last week, surrounding Hawthorn and the coaching succession plan.
Wilson stated that those who attended a “mediation session” between Sam Mitchell and Alastair Clarkson left with the impression that Mitchell would like to coach the Hawks in 2022 and would prefer Clarkson to move on.
Since those comments, both coaches have vehemently denied the report, with Mitchell stating he is 100 per cent committed to the succession plan as it has been laid out.
Clarkson then reaffirmed that he would stick to his existing contract and coach Hawthorn in 2022.
“I absolutely stand by what I said,” Wilson told Footy Classified on Monday night.
“Jeff Kennett wasn’t at the meeting and I don’t think Alastair Clarkson actually refuted what I said last week except to say that he will be coaching Hawthorn next year.
“I said last Monday that that game against Melbourne had created a shift in thinking with Alastair and he might well dig in and I think it’s shifted again and I think he really does now envisage a scenario where he will try and be the better person and mentor Sam Mitchell into a senior coaching role next year, although I’m not convinced yet that it will happen.
“They sat down and thrashed things out and they disagreed on strategy, they disagreed on coaching philosophies, they disagreed on list management, they tried to work out how it was going to work and it was made clear to others in the meeting that Sam Mitchell would prefer to have the major say on all of those things and be the senior coach next year.
“I do think there was a significant shift in the last week. I think (Clarkson’s) been incredibly emotional and gone through several stages of grieving,” she continued.
“There’s no doubt he was devastated when the news first broke and we know the way he spoke to his CEO.
“I don’t think he’ll go to Collingwood. I think Carlton are definitely still interested in him and if he did change what he said on Friday, people would judge him, however I’m more leaning now that he’s more likely to stay.”
Wilson received criticism for indicating that Mitchell should “be very careful” about what he says about Clarkson to others at the football club.
Gerard Whateley labelled the comments “jarring” on SEN’s Crunch Time on Saturday.
Wilson however remained steadfast behind the warning.
“I neither back away from it nor do I wish to clarify it. Maybe some things have been said this year and in recent months in moments of frustration that I don’t think should be said about a premiership coach,” she said.
“That’s all I’m going to say so don’t push me.”