Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has continued his custom of traveling overseas to further his coaching development, currently attending a global coaching conference in America.
Speaking in Minneapolis ahead of Super Bowl VII alongside Geelong coach Chris Scott, Clarkson said opportunities such as these were invaluable given the likenesses throughout international sports.
“This conference is all about high level of performance and how you get the most out of your athletes,” Clarkson told Gerard Whateley on SEN on Monday morning.
“It’s been a great opportunity for us.”
The select group of eight coaches, which includes general manager of Team Sky cycling Sir David Brailsford and England international football manager Gareth Southgate, have also toured the facilities of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.
“There are so many similarities in terms of the culture and the way you go about things,” Scott said.
“The money might be different and the game style stuff, but the way you deal with people and the cultural things are generally common throughout global sport.”
Clarkson, a New England Patriots fan, noted some further parallels between himself and the coach of the Super Bowl-bound Patriots, Bill Belichick.
“A lot of people are waiting for the superstar Tom Brady to retire to see if he is the difference (that makes Belichick great),” Clarkson said.
“And that’s got some fascination for me because, at Hawthorn, we have been through a strong period with some very, very influential players in Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis and Gibson.
“So, I am also trying to work out whether we can sustain our level of performance post having those players at our football club.”
