While the Hawks fell just short of their eighth consecutive win, Clarkson said his side would take plenty of confidence into its clash against the Brisbane Lions at Aurora Stadium next Saturday.
“We’re pleased with the manner we were able to attack the game; it was just a fierce contest,” he said
“Geelong were in front at the right time when the siren went but we will take a lot of confidence out of the fact we can really run the premier side of the competition to a really great game of footy and we hopefully look forward to a chance later in the season to have another crack."
“All we can really focus on now is getting ourselves ready for the Brisbane Lions next week.”
Clarkson admitted the Hawks blew their chances in the third quarter, after a wasteful 2.7 in front of goal kept the Cats in the contest.
“We missed some really gettable goals in the third quarter; we just weren’t as composed or as polished as Geelong in the front half of the ground,” he said.
“It was good that we were able to get opportunities but we just couldn’t convert anywhere near as well as we would’ve liked.”
“In a tight game, if you kick 2.7 from nine or 10 scoring chances in a quarter, you're usually pretty pleased with that amount of chances but if you can’t convert, it really hurts you on the scoreboard.”
Clarkson also paid tribute to outgoing Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams, under whom he served as an assistant coach before taking the reins at the Hawks.
“I just want to acknowledge from our club’s point of view, and particularly mine, that the legacy of any person at a football club is the amount of people he has helped along the way and what contribution they’re now making at AFL level,” he said of his former mentor.
Clarkson also hoped Williams would return to the senior coaching fold in the near future.
“It’s been a great career and hopefully he will be able to take a breath for a little while now and get himself charged up and have another crack somewhere else," he said.
