In a feisty press conference - after the Hawks first win for the year, a heavy 51-point defeat of West Coast - Clarkson chided Carey and complained about "horrific" free kicks against his side that cost goals.

Clarkson was plainly waiting for a question on Rioli - who was one of the Hawks best players - to take issue with Carey's comments.

"Cyril is going back to the Tiwi isn't he? Cyril is going to the Tiwi I heard," Clarkson said.

"Wayne Carey made that great announcement that we have coerced him into a five year extension. Five years! You reckon you would be able to coerce someone into a five year extension if they wanted to go back to the Tiwi? God, what a load of rubbish.

"Once again, no account - no account by a bloke who should know better than throw up bullshit about our players. Hold some of these people to account, because the hysteria it creates is just absolute rubbish."

There is history between the pair with Clarkson two years ago also singling out Carey in a press conference, angry at comments he had made about concussion treatment of Hawthorn players.

This time it was the comments from Carey on Triple M radio that upset the coach.

"I've heard he's a little bit homesick. A few people have told me that there's a little bit of a pull to go back to the Tiwi Islands," Carey said on radio.

"I think he recently signed, he might have signed last year [Rioli is contracted until the end of 2020].

"I got told he had to be a little bit coerced into signing that, and there is a real pull for him to go home."

Clarkson also railed at the umpiring in the game - the Hawks were on the end of some poor decisions such as a push in the back in a marking contest by Jack Darling that resulted in a West Coast goal. Rioli was also slung around the neck after nutmegging a player with a handball - that incident didn't lead to a goal.

"There was a couple of horrific free kicks that didn't go our way in the second quarter that led to really, really easy West Coast Eagle goals. We just haven't had much of the rub of the green in that regard," he said.

"In other games we have fallen away after those things haven't gone our way and today we just hung in there, we did it tough in the last couple of weeks in particular but today was pleasing they got reward for four or five weeks of hard work.

He added: "There's been plenty of hysteria outside the club but not within the walls of our footy club."

Clarkson said nothing had changed in preparation to explain the 137-point turn around from last week's second successive 86 point loss.

"It's bizarre what was the coaching tactic? What was the approach during the week? We aim every week to win contested ball, we try to win clearances, we try to kick more goals than the opposition - sometime it just doesn't work. I wish it was as simple as being able to motivate your players with a couple of fancy words."

The Hawks won by 51 points with four players each kicking three goals. Jack Gunston kicked three and Jarryd Roughead booted three to take him beyond 500 career goals.

"There's been a confidence and belief in the group that we can still turn our season around and it was one small step but it was a positive one today," Clarkson said.

West Coast's Jamie Cripps rolled his ankle in a marking contest late in the game, and after being helped from the ground is in doubt for the derby against Fremantle next week.

Wayne Carey is a Fairfax Media columnist.