The AFL should suspend Alastair Clarkson for his outburst last weekend.
That is the opinion of both Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd who believe the North Melbourne coach must be hit with a ban as well as a fine for his foul-mouthed blow-up directed at St Kilda players at RSEA Park last Sunday.
It came after Jimmy Webster hit Kangaroos co-captain Jy Simpkin in the head with a bump which resulted in a seven-game ban.
Barrett has called for a “heavy sanction” for Clarkson who has added the incident to the long rap sheet he has created over the years.
“It needs to be a heavy sanction,” Barrett said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“He’s a nearly 56-year-old who has had a history of such matters. He constantly apologises, moves on and causes carnage behind him.
“He’s within a month of turning 56 years of age. At what age and stage of life do you need to have someone stop holding your hand?”
"I would suspend him."
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) March 6, 2024
"It shows to the [players] 'I'm invested in you'."
The panel is divided on whether Alastair Clarkson should be given a stronger penalty than a fine for his latest outburst. #9FootyClassified | CH9 & 9Now 🖥️ pic.twitter.com/OzWM6xaYgk
Barrett feels that the Kangaroos have already been forced to defend Clarkson multiple times in his first 12 or so months at the club, indicating that the message just isn’t getting through.
“This is an all of club thing at the moment. Sonja Hood and other people at North Melbourne, Jen White, the Board, they’ve covered for him in the time he’s been at North Melbourne,” he continued.
“There’s not a line yet been drawn officially on the racism situation. Now he’s denied that and I believe him and I take him at his word at that, but it’s yet to go through the Human Rights Commission.
“The club has covered for him and here they are on the eve of a new season devoting resources to dealing with another matter that has reached AFL level. That takes some doing.
“I would suspend him. He doesn’t get the message. There’s more, there’s another screen of those type of incidents.”
Essendon legend Lloyd also believes the four-time Hawthorn premiership coach should be suspended from coaching for a short period.
While Lloyd admires Clarkson’s passion, he also suggests it is his greatest downfall.
“It’s got to be more than a fine, in my opinion,” said Lloyd.
“He can’t help himself. One of his greatest strengths is his passion and his loyalty for his players.
“But it’s also a weakness how emotional he gets and how violent and angry he can get in certain situations.
“I think it will be another fine but I’m one of those that thinks it needs to be stronger than that.”
The panel was somewhat divided, however, with Geelong great Jimmy Bartel believing Clarkson’s stance in standing up for his players is admirable.
“I’m not condoning the language at all,” said Bartel.
“But if I’m a player at North Melbourne, and you’ve been kicked pillar to post the last half a dozen years and everyone is coming at you, and you think inside their rooms they’ve probably got the majority of their list between 18 and 21.
“Then your coach is going, ‘We stand for something, I’m here for you boys’, it makes it a lot easier for Alastair Clarkson to go into that room and sell the message of the ‘one in, all in’ and all that footy jargon.
“It shows straight away to the bench that I’m invested in you. I could be absolutely wrong.”
Bartel believes Clarkson will be issued a fine, Barrett says a fine and a suspended sentence “which will allow him to coach”, while Lloyd is in the same boat despite believing he should be hit with a one-week suspension.
Host Eddie McGuire is of the belief that Clarkson will be slapped with a fiscal sanction along with a suspended sentence.
“My mail is $25,000 and maybe a two-week suspended sentence,” he said.
The AFL is set to make a call on any punishment they will hand down to Clarkson on Thursday.
