Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has declared Shaun Burgoyne’s record-breaking match on Friday night against North Melbourne as a celebration for Australian rules football and indigenous people.
Burgoyne will overtake Adam Goodes as the VFL-AFL games record holder for indigenous players, surpassing the 372-game mark the champion Swan set in 2015, when he faces the Kangaroos at Marvel Stadium.
“There’s been a lot spoken about Shaun over the journey,” Clarkson said of Burgoyne, who began his career at Port Adelaide in 2001.
“He’s played for two highly-decorated clubs that have been successful clubs and it’s no coincidence he’s been part of success at both clubs, because he’s been such a pivotal influence at both football clubs.
“It’s a celebration for the game because he’s going to break the record tomorrow night, it’s a celebration for the Indigenous people and the influence that they’ve had on Australian rules football – particularly in the last 20 or 30 years (and) Shaun’s been playing most of that time.
“And it’s also a celebration for his two clubs but probably more importantly it’s a celebration for his immediate family.”
Clarkson said the silky-skilled Burgoyne, 36, could keep playing for as long as he was motivated to do so.
“That’s going to drive all facets of his footy, whether it’s his physical preparation to play or his mental preparation to play,” he said.
“We’ve seen no reason to think that that’s dropping off at all, so for as long as it doesn’t drop off, he’ll probably continue to get one-year contracts.”
There’s even more at stake for Hawthorn on Friday night with a victory against North Melbourne essential to keep their fading finals hopes alive.
Despite the do-or-die nature of the clash against a team being prepared by Rhyce Shaw for the first time since he was appointed Kangaroos coach on a permanent basis, Clarkson wasn’t treating the game like a final.
“Let’s just try to win every week and that doesn’t change from round one through to round 23,” Clarkson said.
Clarkson was hopeful of regaining improving key-position player Tim O’Brien, who was a late withdrawal against the Brisbane Lions in Tasmania last week due to a lower leg injury.
As for the persistent speculation surrounding his own coaching future, with Carlton reportedly doing everything they can to prise him out of Waverley Park to fill their vacant coaching gig, Clarkson was having none of it.
“It’s no skin off my nose, really, I know where I’m at and what I’m doing here so we’ll continue on with that,” he said.
