The Jacks

Exactly right. Most decisions in businesses, even big decisions, are essentially made on "gut feel", "experience" and "instinct". Getting the official research or expert consultant in is a way for a business to have a formal justification or research to back up the decision they were going to make anyway. Depending on the type of business and it's stakeholders it can be a necessity.

From the outside looking in (pretending that you're not in this situation is very amusing) I would find it odd if: (1) Hawthorn didn't offer Clarkson a new contract; (2) Clarkson didn't sign a new contract with Hawthorn; and/or (3) Clarkson signed for Melbourne, given I think (1) and (2) are very likely. By the way, why do people say that coaches like Eade and Sheedy were "sacked" by their clubs? You have a three-year contract. Those three years are up. Club does not offer a new contract. Who got sacked?