*disclaimer: the above is complete and utter speculation, with no factual evidence or sources to back it up

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

Brett Ratten.....

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

I'm a bit disturbed by one thing here...

Our coaching panel is being loaded up with ex-players. I think this is potentially dangerous, as well as being insular. Ratten (Carlton through and through, with one season at Melbourne and one in suburban football), Bradley, (Carlton and nowhere else) and Mitchell (Carlton again). Interesting that Ratten, Bradely, Mitchell and Kernahan all played together.

There is a little balance there with Libba, and then the part timers (TD and Dempsey (is he still around?), and now Crosisca.

But two things stick out as potential problems for next year. Firstly, it becomes an insular Carlton program, with limited input and ideas from other clubs, who, let's face it, have been much more successful than we have recently. Two, there is a split between the Carlton old timers, and Pagan/Crosisca, with the others siding one way or the other, or stuck in the middle. I am uneasy about the coaching structure down there (it's not that I have a problem with any of them as individuals, it's the balance that concers me).

There seems yet again to be a common denominator in all this. I know I have posted this more than once before, but...I think it's time for Stephen Kernahan to move on into another role. I love him down at the Club, but his performance seems to have left much to be desired. Maybe moving into a marketing role where he can get sponsors excited and on board? Just throwing options in the air.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

Good decision by the board IMO.

...development development development....

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There's so much I could say...

100% on the mark - the old boys club is alive and well.

Kernahan's role needs to be with assisting in marketing activities, not football director or on the board.

Too many Carlton members continually vote this guy back cause he was a legend at playing the game, when they have little idea of his business or off-field football nous.

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For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him, and it's just rubbish. You people. All of you, ALL of you!

plus he did kick it out of bounds on the full after the final siren in 93 against the bumbers.






Sorry. it still eats at me

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Ich bein ein Carltonian

The reason the Board want Mitchell there is to keep pressure on Pagan. The Board only kept Pagan under sufference. They'd be happy to make is life here untenable and see him walk. Save them some bucks.

Might give it to Ratts.

Libba and Mitchell both needed to go. The fact they are still around says more about our clubs current off-field state.

Gibbs.

Is Libba really that bad?

Not being a smartarse but a genuine question.

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Ich bein ein Carltonian

What's Mitchell done wrong to deserve the flick. He's done a great job. Keep Pagan and lose Mitchell.....no thanks I know who I'd rather want.

Mitchell should go as well. Has done nothing when it counted.

Mitchell did everything right when it counted. Mitchell selected the fringe Carlton players and gave them an opportunity to shine in a game played at a standard greater than normal VFL. They failed and have now been delisted.

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Mjonc signing off at 8888

Dont agree Surrey....Mitchell lost in the finals due to lack of depth with his non AFL players..His work with the Blues juniors was very good...players like Bower improved through the year to the point where he did very well when debuting, Blackwell the same and as I said before he has to take a lot of the credit for Setanta doing so well...
I also think Mitchell carried himself extremely well during that fiasco of a week when the board voted on Pagan...he kept his cool, handled the media well and even when things went wrong for him he still spoke in a professional manner and was realistic about events....

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

When Setanta was in a bit of a slump and looking for a role to settle in I reckon Mitch was there for him when it counted.

When Simmo was dropped after not getting a sniff in his first few games I reckon Mitch was there for him when it counted.

I'm sure there are other examples of Mitch 'doing the job' when it counted.

Development.

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There's so much I could say...

Re-signing Mitchell after the entire Sack Pagan, Don't Sack Pagan saga is amateurish and reeks of a club that has absolutely no confidence in its head coach that it would re-appoint a guy that interviewed for the head job [sic].

I feel look a school kid watching a bunch of boys [Sticks, Ratts, Braddles, Mitchell] in the schoolyard circling around a weakling [DP dare I say] and about to beat the bejesus out of him.

Not sure if I am articulating myself well here but I really feel embarrassed that DP is suddenly recruiting Carlton's Favourite Sons after four years of avoiding it like the plague.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

Obviously you'd be calling for Neil Craigs head as well Surrey?

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

I can't see Mitchell as a senior coach but you have to take the opinion of those who followed the Bullants all year on board.
A friend of mine has a few younger Carlton players come to his pizza shop and they are fans of Mitchell.

I find it interesting that when younger players fail to develop quickly enough, its Pagan's fault and when younger players are developing nicely its because of Mitchell.

I guess personal bias intrudes into every argument.

There is no doubt that the Bullants had a strong senior core of players ie Morrell, Harford, Franchina, Prenda, Teague, McLaren, Bryan, Deluca, Chambers, Longmuir, Livo, so making finals is almost a given.
All things being equal during the finals, they were deplorable and looked badly prepared. Hardly a good note for the CV

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T E A M

Will follow Thomas soon if things don't happen in SA. That you can bet on.