North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson attributes his recent foul-mouthed bench rant to ongoing stress from his team’s struggles and the unresolved Hawthorn racism saga, as he confirms he will return to coaching from the box for the rest of the season.
Clarkson also mentioned he is “making progress” in his work with a sports psychologist to manage his emotions, following an incident during a loss to Port Adelaide where he used expletives on the sidelines, though it wasn’t determined to be directed at match officials.
Acknowledging the pressures of a winless season and the unresolved racism investigation, Clarkson and Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan have denied allegations from former Hawthorn players, but mediation has failed to resolve the matter, potentially heading to the Federal Court.
“Without a doubt, we can’t dismiss the fact that ‘Fages’ (Chris Fagan) and myself have been under an enormous amount of pressure over the last 18 months,” Clarkson said on Thursday.
Clarkson stated that the 2024 season, which has seen the Kangaroos fail to win in 11 matches, has been tougher than anticipated, contributing to the pressures faced on match days.
He discussed his ongoing work with a sports psychologist and expressed that he was making progress despite recent incidents, emphasizing the emotional and challenging nature of the game.
“I’ve just got to keep working on it and try to reduce the amount of times that I get caught up in those situations,” he added.
