Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson has spoken publicly for the first time since issuing an apology to a reporter over an outburst earlier in the month, admitting that he can't guarantee he won't lose his temper again.
Clarkson was involved in an altercation with a Channel 9 journalist in the wake of the allegations surrounding Tarryn Thomas coming to light, as media descended on Arden Street for comment.
In a new interview with Channel 7, Clarkson admitted that he has tried to stay away from the media spotlight in the wake of allegations of racism and wrongdoing during his tenure at Hawthorn.
“For certainly the last five months, I've probably deliberately tried to stay away from any media spotlight and attention, given we've been embroiled in this (Hawthorn) investigation," Clarkson said.
"And then the Tarryn stuff broke and, despite how experienced I am in the game, I was just totally unprepared for the avalanche of media scrutiny that was going to come that day with Tarryn.
“I thought some of the manner in which the media were asking Tarryn and our players and staff was untoward with the way they were approaching our players, particularly given it was in the race of our football club and it was our workspace."
Though the senior coach later apologised in person for comments made, Clarkson admitted that he may behave in a similar manner should he need to defend his players.
“I spoke to a journalist in a manner I didn't think was condescending in any way whatsoever really, except I thought her behaviour was untoward, and she took offence to that. I apologised within the next couple of hours to her in person,” he said.
“But it was a wake-up call for me because it was confrontational, and it was just like, well, you're getting ready to put the hard hat on, back being a senior coach of an AFL club and, for me, the immediate apology was a therapeutic thing for me to go through, to say, ‘Welcome back to what is going to transpire at different stages throughout your term as a coach of AFL footy'.
“You'd think with the experience that you would, and I'd like to be able to say I will continue to learn my lessons, but this has been with me ever since I was a kid.
"If I see something unjust or untoward, I will defend. And I saw something that was unjust and untoward.
"I felt like I needed to defend our players and our staff - and I can't give a guarantee that I won't do that again in the future, because I think that's important."
Clarkson remains under investigation by an independent panel over the Hawthorn allegations, alongside Chris Fagan and Jason Burt.
