ALASTAIR Clarkson's fingerprints will be all over Richmond's coaches box when he becomes just the second man to lead Hawthorn in 250 games on Friday night at the MCG.
Damien Hardwick was once the trusty lieutenant who helped Clarkson pick Hawthorn up off its knees, but the Tigers coach now leads a cast of ex-Hawks plotting their former club's downfall in round 18.
Ross Smith, a defensive analyst for Richmond for the past four years, joined Clarkson for the start of his senior coaching journey in 2005 and spent seven seasons working alongside the triple-premiership coach.
Hawthorn premiership ruckman Max Bailey, now a ruck-forward development coach at Tigerland, and Tim Clarke, Richmond's VFL coach, played their entire careers in brown and gold.
And there's the Hawthorn blueprint of the mid-2000s about the way Richmond rebuilt a once powerful club that had fallen into decay.
The Tigers pinned their future on recruiting from the top-end of the draft, invested in training facilities and their football department, built a huge membership base and turned around a previously dire financial situation.
Where the Hawks peaked earlier than expected by winning the '08 flag, Richmond has methodically climbed up the ladder to a point where it now appears on the cusp of bridging the gap to the top four.
But, this season at least, the Tigers' hopes of a finals double-chance could hang by a thread if they can't dismantle the Hawthorn machine on Friday night.
The Tigers have done it before under Hardwick. In 2012 and '13, they upset the Hawks by 62 and 41 points respectively.
Last year, Hawthorn hit back hard with a 66-point thumping, and Clarkson's record against Hardwick stands at 3-2.
Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron is the only other current Clarkson protégé in a senior role to notch a win against his former mentor, having engineered a stunning 10-point upset in round six.
Luke Beveridge's undermanned Western Bulldogs failed by 70 points at his first attempt in Launceston in round three.
Another coach of the year candidate, Adam Simpson, gets his first crack at Hawthorn this season in round 19, with the football world eager to see if the Eagles can genuinely challenge the seemingly formidable Hawks.
If Hawthorn reaches a fourth-straight Grand Final, as many expect, and takes the straightforward path by winning a qualifying final, then Clarkson could end the year on 258 games – 41 behind club immortal John Kennedy Snr.
But with the club striving for their 13th flag, Clarkson could stand alone come October as the only Hawthorn coach to mastermind four premiership triumphs.
Clarkson's record against his former assistants currently in senior positions:
Damien Hardwick (Richmond): Won 3, Lost 2
Leon Cameron (GWS): 0-1
Adam Simpson (West Coast): 1-0
Luke Beveridge (Western Bulldogs): 1-0
John Barker (Carlton): 1-0
Overall: 6-3
Clarkson's career coaching record:
Matches: 249
Wins: 156
Draws: 1
Losses: 92
Winning percentage: 62.85
