Hawthorn midfielder Isaac Smith has credited the club’s assistant coaches and team leaders for keeping Hawthorn’s season running smoothly in the absence of head mentor Alastair Clarkson.
Clarkson returned to work for the first time in more than a month on Monday after he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome in May. While many clubs would struggle without their head coach, the Hawks thrived under interim boss Brendon Bolton, winning five out of five to move to the top of the AFL ladder.
Smith told radio station SEN it was testament to Hawthorn’s structures and personnel that they didn’t falter. “He (Bolton) did a good job, but the other coaches stepped up as well and so did a few of the leaders,” he said.
“It was pretty seamless and we didn’t even realise the big man (Clarkson) was gone too much. We’ve been doing some things pretty well the last few years and just kept those in motion. But….we’ve got some very good leaders and they stepped up over the last few weeks.”
Now that Clarkson has returned to the coach’s box, the Hawks would love to welcome him back with a victory against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Friday night. The Kangaroos were shock losers to the Brisbane Lions last week but have shown a tendency to rebound strongly from defeats this season.
“I was reading a stat that they win on average after a loss by 46 points or something this year,” Smith said. “I reckon they’ll come out pretty fired up. They’re a good side when they’re playing consistent footy. I know a few of their guys personally and know they’ll be coming out to play tough footy.”
