Clarko blindsided by Buddy move

Much of the pre-AFL grand final attention may be on Buddy Franklin but Swans co-captain Kieren Jack insists Hawks would be foolish to underestimate the club's more unheralded players.
Alastair Clarkson was frustrated when Lance Franklin defected to Sydney last year. Source: Getty Images
HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says he felt completely blindsided by Lance Franklin’s move to Sydney last October, with his frustration compounded with the knowledge the Swans had claimed Kurt Tippett 12 months earlier.
But after a “frosty” period with his good friend and ex-teammate John Longmire, it hasn’t been enough to fracture his 27-year-old friendship with the Sydney coach.
CLARKO AND HORSE: SOLID ALL THE WAY
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“I didn’t like one little bit that (Buddy) Franklin was able to go to their club 12 months after Kurt Tippett,” Clarkson told the Herald Sun.
“It was frosty in so much as I didn’t agree with Buddy, who I had found out had indicated to Sydney and to many others that his decision was something he had made before he told us.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says he has no doubts over the fitness of Cyril Rioli heading into Saturday's AFL grand final against the Swans.
“And frosty, because it involved two mates (Longmire and Franklin’s then manager Liam Pickering) who I had known for 25 years and things were done behind our back and I expected more. But I knew that being frosty was never going to bring Buddy back. So it was time to move on.”
Clarkson has been close mates with Longmire since 1987 and that friendship between the former North Melbourne teammates has endured through their successful AFL coaching careers, and continues leading into today’s AFL Grand Final.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has denied rumours that he is joining the Adelaide Crows, with the premiership winning mentor reaffirming his commitment to the Hawks at the AFL grand final parade.
Franklin, who had secretly met with the Swans in January 2013 before revealing his intentions to go north three days after last year’s premiership success with the Hawks, will play against his old side today.
Clarkson said he and Longmire share many similar philosophies and traits, but differ in terms of some aspect of the AFL industry.
“I have a very different philosophy to ‘Horse’ (Longmire) on equalisation and salary cap allowances and that sort of thing,” he said.

Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin says he is ready to play on the big stage ahead of Saturday's AFL grand final against his former side Hawthorn.
“I know full well he would squeal like a shot pig if Hawthorn was getting the fortune of a $1 million salary cap relief.”
Longmire acknowledged it was very difficult time for all concerned, saying: “We are really good mates, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have solid chats some times.”
“We obviously went down a path and Lance was keen to come to us. The good thing for Hawthorn’s point of view is that it didn’t affect their premiership last year.”
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Originally published as Clarko blindsided by Buddy move
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