Brisbane coach and former Hawthorn football boss Chris Fagan has stated his surprise and disappointment in the Hawks' handling of Alastair Clarkson's impending exit from the club.
Fagan worked alongside Clarkson between 2008 and 2016, working as head of coaching development before moving into the position of general manager of football.
When two came together once again on the weekend as the Hawks hosted the Lions in Launceston, it was the four-time premiership coach who had the last laugh in handing Brisbane a blow to their top four chances.
The Hawks were dominant from the offset in what was a stellar showing by Clarkson's men, who were able to hold off a late surge by the premiership contenders and finish 12-point victors.
The win showcased Clarkson's mastermind tactics, being able to lock down the Lions' ball movement early and hurting them on the transition.
While it was a disappointing outing for Fagan's side, the Hawks' dominance was no surprise for the Lions coach when it comes to the man pulling strings from the coaches box.
Speaking on Clarkson's exit, Fagan criticised the club's handling of the coaching handover and imminent farewell to their great coach.
”I would have thought of all the coaches in the AFL, the one guy who might have had the opportunity to go out on his terms with a little bit of dignity would have been Clarko, but it seems from a distance that hasn’t been the case," Fagan said post-game.
“We lost today, the better team won. Well done to Clarko on that. He’s a man I have enormous respect for, I must say.
“It’s sad to see that he won’t be coaching Hawthorn past this year. He has done a tremendous job.“
Sunday's win marks Clarkson's fourth last match in charge of his beloved side, with Hawthorn set to face the Magpies, Bulldogs and then Tigers in their run to the end of Clarkson's tenure.
While the future is set for the Hawks' coaching post, the same can't be said about Collingwood, who have been closely linked to Clarkson's services in recent weeks.
Carlton are also tied to the current coaching market, as pressure mounts on David Teague's position at Ikon Park amid an external review into the club's football operations.
Speaking on the matter that surrounds Clarkson's future, Fagan expressed his hopes to see the champion mentor remain in footy circles past 2021.
“It’s an interesting situation they find themselves in,” he said.
“I hope he is not lost to footy. He is a brilliant coach and his team played for him today.
“I am not there so I don’t know all the inner workings, so I am only making an observation from a distance, and it just seems to me that it could have happened in a better way, I guess.”
Clarkson will hand over the reigns as senior coach of the Hawks to club great Sam Mitchell at the conclusion of this season.
The decision follows the original agreement that would have seen Mitchell take over as coach from the end of 2022, with the club announcing last week that they will part ways with Clarkson 12 months prior to the original set time.
