Alastair Clarkson is most well known for being a very successful coach and former player in the Australian Football League.
Clarkson played 11 seasons of AFL football – nine for North Melbourne from 1987–1995, followed by two for Melbourne from 1996–1997. One of the most notable moments of his playing career was when he made his VFL debut in the final round of 1987 and kicked the winning goal after the siren in a game against Melbourne.
Clarkson was Senior Coach of the Hawthorn Football Club between 2005-2021. During his tenure, Hawthorn was a dominant team in the AFL and won the AFL Premiership on four occasions, first in 2008 followed by three, consecutive premierships in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He is one of the few men to have coached four premiership teams and is widely considered among the most innovative and successful coaches in the history of the game.
Clarkson has been appointed Senior Coach of the North Melbourne Football Club on a five-year contract, starting from the 2023 season. The appointment has been described as a “homecoming” for him due to his playing career starting at the club.
He joined the Sports Advisory Board at Levin Health in 2021.
Sports injuries & medical conditions
As a consequence of his long career as an AFL Player, Clarkson suffers mild musculoskeletal pain.
‘I’ve got problems associated with wear and tear in the joints in my feet and lower back. I often get a chronic and uncomfortable flare-up of pain after I’ve done some exercise’
Alastair Clarkson
Musculoskeletal pain can affect the muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones.
There are many reasons why people suffer from musculoskeletal pain. In Alastair’s case, it’s likely that repetitive movements and overuse as a professional athlete are likely to have contributed.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2012 arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions affect an estimated 6.1 million Australians (approximately 28% of the total population) of all ages.
Clarkson joins the Levin Health Sports Advisory Board
One of the most successful AFL coaches of the modern era and advisor to a leading Australian sports science company, Levin Health, is looking to break the stigma on medical cannabis usage in the industry.
Alastair Clarkson, who’s been an active member of the Levin Health Sports Advisory Board since 2021 has announced plans to change the conversation on the usage of medicinal cannabis to explore the potential benefits of how medicinal cannabis could help in chronic pain and possibly concussion injuries in the industry.