Former AFL coaches’ boss Mark Brayshaw has rubbished claims Alastair Clarkson wants over $1 million to coach in 2023.
According to 7 News reporter Tom Browne, Clarkson is seeking a salary of $1.6 million to return to coaching next year.
The four-time premiership coach has reportedly met with GWS three times while North Melbourne is set to ramp up their interest in the 54-year-old.
Brayshaw, a close friend of Clarkson’s, says the report about his salary demands is “completely wrong”.
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“One thing I can say is this: Alastair and all the coaches are acutely aware of what happened a few years with the soft cap,” he told Sportsday.
“He has always taken less money than he would otherwise have been entitled to for the purpose of retaining and attracting people above and around him to help the team win.
“That’s a hallmark of his time at Hawthorn and those days of million-dollar-plus salaries for coaches of his pedigree are gone. It’s a fool’s economy.
“If he was to insist upon that sort of money and a club was to agree to it, then shortly there afterwards you realise that there’s not enough for good physios, doctors, assistant coaches and recruiters.
“There’s a little bit of talk of that, it’s not offensive, but it’s completely wrong.”
Brayshaw said Clarkson would happily coach again for under $1 million a season.
“No question. I don’t think any coaches get anywhere near $1 million nowadays,” Brayshaw said.
“They used to be, but those days are gone. They all understand that. Alastair is acutely aware of the landscape having changed.
“Now North, and credit to the club, is financially capable of paying whatever the going rate is, but the going rate is well under $1 million nowadays because the soft cap took a big hit.”
The AFL soft cap will be $6.95 million in 2023 and rise to $7.2 million in 2024.