Everyone has heard the soundbite or seen the clip of Alastair Clarkson’s dig at Tom Papley. Clarkson is often given a lot of extra slack owing to his vast experience and unmatched success, but in this case he was undignified and wrong and needs to be held to account.
On AFL 360 on Monday Mark Robinson asked Clarko why he said Papley “milks a free kick” and graciously gave the venerated Hawthorn coach a chance to explain himself or apologise for the comment. Clarkson decided to say that he “would have chosen [his] words” better if not for the stress of having an interview so soon after the match ended.
Robbo accepted the response and took the conversation in a different direction. That was the wrong move and disappointing from such a seasoned journo.
If “milks a free kick” was not the phrase Clarkson meant to use, then for goodness sake what words would he have chosen? What exactly was he accusing Papley of doing? That should have been Mark’s next question.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
Clarkson has been a coach for more than a decade and has seen the highest of highs and some pretty low points too. He’s given hundreds of post-match pressers after winning and losing. He knows better than to take cheap shots at opposition players. He knows how to deal with stress and frustration. So to blame the heat of the moment and simply he chose the wrong words is dissembling and beneath him.
The bigger issue here, though, is Clarko is also just plain wrong. To accuse a player of milking a free kick implies to me some sort of staging or manipulation. But watch the vision. The free kick is obviously there. Papley was shoved to the ground in the back with significant force. It wasn’t a dive. He didn’t whine to the umpire.
The player Clarkson should be upset at is James Frawley, whose unnecessary blindside bump gave away the free kick.
Clarkson could have taken the opportunity to join the conversation about the disheartening trend among players to trash talk opposition players. In this case Papley was acting pretty cocky after his goal and was apparently having a go at Tom Mitchell, possibly because they used to be teammates. So the topic of taunting would be relevant, and it’s a broader issue worth discussing. Clarkson didn’t even mention that, though.
The bottom line is Alastair Clarkson had no business saying anything about Tom Papley getting a completely warranted free kick. He is an experienced coach with no excuses for such behaviour.
Clarkson should hold himself to a higher standard and the AFL and media should call him out for failing to meet it.
shifty
Roar Rookie
That's right.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
What have you got against his wife?
christy olsen
Roar Rookie
That may be, but Clarkson had the opportunity to backpedal a little and say what you just said. The point is your are saying the mistake was the umpire's; that's very different from taking a cheap shot at an opposition player.
shifty
Roar Rookie
And then when Sinclair ran in and pushed Mitchell over the free kick should have been reversed. But it wasn't.
Brian
Guest
I'm not sure what he said that was wrong. Milking free kicks is done by all players, if he had said Papley as good as anyone at nailing the tackle would that be ok? He was complimenting Papley. Frawley gave him an opportunity and Papley took advantage
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Certainly should have been reversed! Surprised no-one here has got stuck into Papley for his childish taunting. That sort of behavior on field irks me no end. I've been a huge fan of Papley but that really hurts his reputation in my view. As a player I would have been looking to even up the score but they can't do that these days.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Good article, well written. Hit the nail on the head when you stated that all this has taken the focus of the error by his experienced defender Frawley.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
In fairness he also said that he milked kicks as a player. Clarko is a passionate man prone to outbursts, I'm not sure we can really read anything more into it. He was speaking like a fan not a coach, which is a bad look but in a way I like the honesty in this age of "everybody loves everybody" and scripted responses. Gives you articles to write and me articles to post on, long may it continue
Angela
Roar Rookie
Every coach potentially has something to whinge about in the post game interview however most hold their tongues and desist from taking aim at other clubs' players as regardless of what happened on the field it's a poor look to be seen to be blaming the refs, the weather, the injury list, the crowd, covid, climate change, racism, the economy, shark nets, feminism, religion, China, Tony Abbott, sugar, animal fats, veganism, drought and floods for their team's loss. Clarko needs to get a grip and go home and whinge to his wife.
Dean
Guest
Don Scott also said that every club was doing it and the corruption was rife through the whole competition.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Thanks for clarifying. So Mark Robinson is a journo? Who knew? :laughing: Expecting Cripps to get a bucket load of frees this week against the Hawks. Thanks Robbo! :thumbdown:
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Happy to have Frawley fly the flag everytime in that situation i.e. Mitchell prone and Papley standing over him. Dish it out, be prepared to cop it.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Don has no evidence, he simply thinks that's what happened. Don's got a podcast to promote. Funny that the CEO at the time reckons he didn't know about it and he would have been informed if it was happening. I'm happy to wait for evidence.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Well if Paps hadn’t been bowled over it wouldn’t even be an issue. —- I’m flattered that you put me in 2Dogs company.
Kane
Roar Rookie
The flag was actually raised publicly by a journalist Birdman, not the club or player.
Kane
Roar Rookie
Sounds like it's Hawthorn's DNA too Birdman after what your own saviour Don Scott has been saying. Carlton at least owned up to it.
2dogs
Roar Rookie
Chea
2dogs
Roar Rookie
Lost the plot
2dogs
Roar Rookie
Chea cheating
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Haha. So apart from chea cheating which is the Carlton's DNA, who raised the flag on Cripps' treatment at the hands of taggers? Or is Clarko to blame for that too?