According to separate reports, Brett Ratten “knows he will be sacked” as Carlton coach and is “100 per cent certain” this week’s game against St Kilda will be his last in charge of the club.
Now Mick Malthouse, increasingly lurking in the background as the season has progressed, appears set to take over another powerhouse Melbourne club.
The club is set to make an announcement at 9:30am Thursday morning, with The Herald Sun reporting via Facebook Wednesday afternoon, “a shattered Ratten … has begun breaking the news to his close friends and family.”
“Carlton is expected to appoint Michael Malthouse as its coach for 2013.”
Newsbreaker Damian Barrett has told Triple M that Ratten doesn’t expect to be coaching after this week.
Carlton are yet to confirm anything. They will hold a press conference tomorrow morning to “clarify speculation regarding Brett Ratten’s coaching future”.
Reading between the lines, it’s a matter of time before the trigger is pulled.
These reports follow Mike Sheahan telling On The Couch that he understood a Malthouse-Mark Williams coaching team will lead Carlton next year.
Channel Ten have also reported that Malthouse will lead the Blues.
Expectations were high for the Blues this season, at least in some quarters. One prominent journalist said they’d win the flag, while internal expectations would’ve been to at least match last year’s effort of fifth place and a finals win.
The club ultimately missed out on finals altogether and last week completed footy’s biggest sin these days: losing to an expansion side.
Injuries, however, have played a huge part in these results. In addition, the seemingly widespread notion among clubs that teams must always improve year-to-year – as I’ve long argued – is a truly ridiculous one.
Perhaps, though, missing the eight completely and capitulating against the Gold Coast Suns goes beyond that.
And when you’ve got someone like Malthouse making not one or two but three rounds of subtle comments regarding his desire to coach again, the coach is bound to feel the heat.
AFL clubs are becoming increasingly intolerant of coaches not delivering results as quickly as desired. If the same criteria was applied to recent premiers like Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn, the likes of Malthouse, Mark Thompson and Alistair Clarkson mightn’t have been around long enough to lead their clubs to glory.
However, when a capable replacement is waiting in the wings – see the Ross Lyon-to-Fremantle situation last year – replacing the coach can become too attractive an option to pass up.
Where to now for Ratten? Two words instantly spring to mind: Port Adelaide. The only question is would he want to inherent a list as far back in its development was as the Blues were when he took over?
He’d be an ideal candidate, that’s for sure.
Where to for the Blues? Logic says the only way is up. Their list is better than what this year’s results suggest.
However, a large part of Malthouse’s success at Collingwood was his close relationship with his players. Will the same bonds be able to be formed at Carlton in time for them to be a threat next year?
This is just one of a number of questions that come to mind.
Certainly, if all this does eventuate, it’d be a bold move from a powerhouse club.
Julie of Perth
Guest
Brett Rattom, hold your head up high. You showed so much care for the boys you coach. I admire your class. Something that the Carlton executives need to learn. Come over to WA, we need some class acts over here. I am not a supporter of Carlton but I can see, from what I read,that you are a Carlton man through and through. I wonder if Malthouse feels the same. Something tells me it is ego and money that drives him.
johno
Guest
the situation is custom made for Malthouse to ride in and take the Blues to top 4. If he has a fully fit Kruezer, Murphy, Warnock and can get either Cloke or Goddard to the club then look out.
brendan
Guest
Good point Micheal about how ridiculous it is to expect teams to improve each year Geelong dropped of in 06 and won 07 and from memory Brisbane in the 90's dropped back before surging to win three in a row.The irony of Ratten's departure over the Suns loss is a win wouldn't have nade any difference to there then remote finals chances.
Charlie
Guest
They didn't just transfer Jacobs to the Crows, he requested to leave to return home. From all reports the club was keen for him to stay, but the competition for places and the return home factor were too strong for Jacobs to resist.
Vic
Guest
End of the day a bunch of Carlton blokes need to get moved on. Where do you even begin? Bower, Garlett, Russell, Hampson, Warnock need the big e straight away. Why did they transfer Jacobs to the Crows? It is a mess down there with that list. It'll take a miracle to win anything in the short term.
floreat pica
Guest
From the other side of the fence, Brett Ratten has seemed to be a great club man- a shame for him to be so swiftly shafted. Malthouse will be a great fit for the blues, and for the AFL as the grudge matches take on a new level of intrigue.
Shane
Guest
Sumich is now at Freo!
LK
Guest
What of Malthouse's role in this? Wasn't his line something about "bullets flying around" regarding coaches getting sacked? Looks like he loaded the gun and pulled the trigger, to torture the metaphor. Assuming he gets the job, he wouldn't want to take more than three years to get to a prelim.
LK
Guest
I saw this elsewhere... Rattsack!
Antonio
Guest
What happens if the blues don't perform for Malthouse? Will the media hunt him down as bad as they have been doing Ratten all season?
sheek
Guest
Can I be the first to say this - it's just ratten luck..... ;-)
ChrisCantatore
Roar Rookie
Scott Burns is the Eagles top assistant. Peter Sumich joined Fremantle at the start of 2012.
brendan
Guest
Particularly if Cloke kicks the winning goal.
Alfred Chan
Expert
When I first read this, I thought there would be no chance of Ratten remaining with Carlton as an assistant to Malthouse but, it would make sense if he did. He is still contracted by the Blues for $550,000 next year and that is about four times as much as he would make as an assistant anywhere else. He gets along with the players and he's friends with most of the board. I don't think this split ended on as bad of terms as Mark Harvey was fired by Fremantle. The other thing is, Mick was only going to take the job if he could bring in his own panel of coaching staff who you'd have to assume he was going to poach from Collingwood. Of his premiership coaching team, Nathan Buckley, Mark Neeld and Scott Watters all hold senior coaching positions and are no chance of leaving. The only other person I think Malthouse will actively pursue is Scott Burns who is an assistant at West Coast and he's behind Peter Sumich in their pecking order so Carlton would be a big promotion. The Eagles are going well so he'll probably stay in the West until another senior coaching job opens. Brett Ratten staying on a senior assistant to Mick Malthouse suddenly seems plausible. We'll find out tomorrow morning!
DanMan
Guest
Can't wait to see Eddy's face if a Malthouse led Blues outfit knock the pies off in finals next year.
ChrisCantatore
Roar Rookie
As much as I'd like to see him continue in the AFL, I hope he doesn't end up at Port Adelaide. He would end up in the same postion he is in now 2-3 years down the track. As unlikely (and as bitter) as this would be, imagine if he remained at Carlton along side Malthouse. That could be the best combo in the competition! With all the expectations on Carlton this year, removing Ratten and installing Malthouse- the Blues must have a top 4 finish next season and be a genuine threat for the flag. Mick isn't going to get 3 or 4 seasons to turn them into a premiership contender.