Hawks sew up in-demand Clarkson

Alastair Clarkson's rapid rise from coaching unknown to one of the hottest properties in the AFL has been confirmed after the Hawks locked away their in-demand coach until the end of 2011 on Tuesday.

Clarkson, who in the space of just four years has re-built the Hawks from their lowest ebb in the modern era to genuine premiership contender, has agreed a new three-year contract with the Hawks.

His re-signing is a major coup for the Hawks - ending any chance of Clarkson being poached to be the inaugural coach of the Gold Coast team which will enter the competition in 2011.

It comes at a time when the Hawks are unbeaten after seven rounds and second-favourites to win their first premiership since 1991.

The contract was finalised behind closed doors on Tuesday at Waverley Park with the negotiations so secret that the club made no mention of the news, even when former skipper Shane Crawford fronted a press conference at Waverley just hours before announcing Clarkson would coach the club for another three years.

Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said the re-signing of Clarkson was a key plank in the club's bid to win its 10th premiership.

"Alastair enjoys the full confidence of the Hawthorn Football Club Board, management, coaching and playing group," Kennett said on Tuesday.

"His re-signing for another three years, until the end of 2011, is another sign of the stability and high morale at the club."

Clarkson is delighted at the faith the club has shown in him but says there is much work to be done before the Hawks can dream of premiership glory.

"Four years ago we started a journey towards the club's 10th premiership," Clarkson said.

"The club has taken many bold decisions along the way and I look forward to continuing to play an important part in delivering this to the Hawthorn Football Club and its members."

"Whilst we have made a strong start to the 2008 season, both the playing group and coaching staff understand what is necessary to continue to build towards being the most competitive that we can be."

Clarkson, a low-profile player with the Kangaroos and Melbourne, was considered a rank outsider to win the Hawks' coaching job when it became available following a disastrous 2004 season in which the team won just four games and dispensed with two coaches in Peter Schwab and Donald McDonald.

A former Port Adelaide assistant coach, Clarkson took over the Hawks at a time when the club had just come off its worst season since 1965 and immediately made tough decisions as he focused solely on the long-term at the expense of getting short-term improvement.

Clarkson not only surrounded himself with highly-regarded key personnel such as renowned recruiter Chris Pelchen - who was with Clarkson at Port Adelaide and along with the Hawks coach has re-built their playing list - but showed from the outset that he was not afraid to make tough decisions.

One of his first big decisions was to trade popular forward Nathan Thompson - the Hawks' leading goalkicker in 2003 and 2004 - to the Kangaroos as they went about gaining as many draft selections as they could to use on young talent.

Another key player in 2001, All-Australian full-back Jonathan Hay, was let go at the end of the following season while other experienced players in Kris Barlow, Luke McCabe, Mark Graham, Lance Picioane, Rayden Tallis, Simon Beaumont, Steven Greene, Nick Holland, Angelo Lekkas and Nathan Lonie were either retired or moved on within Clarkson's first 12 months.

Clarkson laid the foundation for the Hawks' present success immediately with his first draft in charge - at the end of 2004 - landing the club's prized key forwards Jarryd Roughead at pick two and this year's Coleman Medal favourite Lance Franklin at pick five as well as tough midfielder Jordan Lewis at pick seven.

And the following year there were even more draft riches for the Hawks with Xavier Ellis coming in at pick three, star defender Grant Birchall at pick 14, Travis Tuck at pick 38 and former St Kilda and Port defender Brent Guerra in the pre-season draft while goalsneak Cyril Rioli (pick 12) already looks the stand-out player of last year's draft.

Clarkson may have won just five games in his first year in charge in 2005 - as the Hawks went from 15th to 14th - but since then the club has improved steadily, winning nine games and finishing 11th in 2006 before making the finals last year for the first time since 2001.

And now it is second favourite for the flag this season with Clarkson's progress as coach so far resembling that of the club's most famous coach John Kennedy.

Kennedy took over as Hawthorn coach in 1967 - just two years after the club's most recent wooden spoon - and after finishing just 10th of 12 teams in his first year, the Hawks then finished sixth, fifth and eighth in the next three years before winning the premiership in Kennedy's fifth year as coach.

Now Hawks' fans will be hoping history repeats itself with Clarkson to have his fifth year in charge of the Hawks in the first year of his new contract - next year.