Alistair Clarkson believes that former coaches such as James Hird, Michael Voss and Brett Ratten should be given the chance at another senior position.
Having watched the Super Bowl on Monday with Geelong coach Chris Scott, as part of an elite coaches meeting, Clarkson believes that AFL clubs should use Bill Belichick as an example when looking at considering former coaches for head coaching positions.
Belichick was sacked from the Cleveland Browns in 1995, before his appointment at the New England Patriots in 2000. Since then, he has become the most successful modern day coach in the NFL, like Clarkson has been in the AFL.
"By all intents and purposes, he probably failed in his first mission as a coach but over in America, it's nearly a badge of honour if you have an opportunity like that and it doesn't go so well," Clarkson told SEN.
"It's an additional part of your reference and CV rather than a black spot against your name.
"In Australian rules, you get a go - and I refer to guys like Vossy and Hirdy, Brett Ratten, these sorts of guys, who are such highly, highly decorated footballers.
"They became coaches at a relatively young age and then by the time they're 40, 42 they've had their opportunity of coaching a club for five years, it hasn't worked out for them or their club.
"They're nearly on the coaching scrapheap, whereas in America it's completely the opposite."
Clarkson also compared the similarities between New England and Hawthorn, and expressed how he was very intrigued to see how the Patriots would go once their star quarterback Tom Brady retires.
When this does occur, Clarkson liked it to a position that his team Hawthorn is in at the moment, trying to rebuild from the departures of Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson, Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis. This has left the club searching for players to stand up in a bid to fill the voids left by these influential players.
"Everyone is waiting for Tom Brady to retire and he's doing everything he possibly can not to do that," Clarkson said.
"But they're waiting to retire to see if he is the difference - is that what makes Belichick?
"That has some fascination for me because we've been through a strong period with some very, very influential players in Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis, Gibson, these sorts of guys.
"I'm also intrigued to try to work out whether we can sustain our level of performance post the influence of those players."
Clarkson has followed the progression of the Patriots for 10-12 years, making numerous trips to multiple NFL clubs in a bid to transform his coaching and tactical methods.
