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Denis Pagan understands better than most the level of frustration Carlton coach Mick Malthouse was feeling over Jarrad Waite’s costly suspension.
A one-match ban for headbutting meant Waite was unavailable for Monday’s round-seven game against St Kilda which the Blues lost by nine points.
In the previous round against Melbourne, Waite had played his first game this season after overcoming injury and grabbed 10 marks, booting two goals.
“It can be very costly for teams. It’s very very frustrating,” former Carlton coach Pagan told AAP on Friday.
Carlton captain Marc Murphy described Waite’s latest disciplinary lapse as stupid and added Malthouse had “got into” his key forward for letting the team down. Carlton fined Waite.
North Melbourne’s dual premiership coach Pagan gave the suspended Wayne Schwass a blast moments after North were beaten by the Saints in the 1997 preliminary final.
“I know Glenn Archer and Wayne Schwass who’d been suspended probably cost us that one,” Pagan recalled.
Archer saw a furious Pagan marching off the MCG and stayed out of the danger zone.
“I didn’t blame them wholly,” Pagan added.
“As I was coming off the ground, I was steaming.
“I got to the bottom of the race and I saw Wayne Schwass and I think I said `you cost us!’ and there might have been a word starting with `F’ in there as well.”
Schwass, who won two best-and-fairest awards and a premiership medal at the Kangaroos in a 10-year stint, didn’t play for the club again.
The wingman accepted a lucrative offer at 28 to join Sydney and played for five more seasons including winning a third club-champion award.
Pagan says his relationship with Schwass is fine.
“He got a better financial opportunity in Sydney. They really wanted him,” Pagan said.
“We would have loved to keep him.
“That thing was blown out of all proportion. It looked very emotional but I would have said a lot more to players over the years.
“Schwatta was a great player.
“It was one of my greatest thrills when he came to see me when I was coaching Carlton.
“He said he had learnt a lot from me over the years and employed some of those principles in his daily life.
“I coached him as a 16-year-old in the under-19s. You coach someone for that many years, you become a de-facto parent.”
Pagan says the 30-year-old Waite is a quality young man.
“If Carlton are going to make it, he’s their best key forward,” Pagan said.
“I’m sure he regrets what he did.”
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