Who should replace Mick Malthouse as Carlton coach?

Footy is a fast moving-beast and it’s no surprise that following Carlton’s decision to sack senior coach Mick Malthouse earlier today, attention has immediately turned to the question of who will replace Malthouse as Carlton’s senior coach.

The Blues have announced current assistant John Barker as Malthouse’s interim replacement in the position. Given the season is only two months old, they have a significant period of time in which to make a decision on who will be their man in 2016 and beyond.

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In a prepared statement, club CEO Mark LoGiudice said Barker “will nurture our younger talent and give them a chance to shine, while balancing their skills with the experience of our more senior players.”

Regarding the search for a long-term replacement, LoGiudice said “In coming weeks the Club will determine the make-up of an independent selection committee that will begin the process of finding the best equipped individual to coach Carlton in 2016 and beyond. This committee will consider only the best candidates for the role. It will be a genuine and exhaustive process.”

Despite comments to the contrary from LoGiudice and Stephen Trigg, Carlton is very much a club in crisis now. They have been mediocre for a significant period of time and, if they do not make the right decision at this crossroads, they will only plunge further into the depths of mediocrity.

The most significant question which faces them at the moment is which mould of coach they will pursue. Will it be an untried up-and-comer, or an experienced senior man?

CrownBet clearly believe Carlton will take the latter approach, installing 2006 West Coast Eagles premiership coach John Worsfold as the $3.50 favourite to take on Carlton’s senior coaching job.

Worsfold retired from the senior position at West Coast at the end of the 2013 season, stating he no longer had the energy needed to lead the club.

He seems to have changed his mind on that in recent months however, stating recently that he was not actively pursuing a coaching role, but open to taking one up should it be offered to him.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to find out that Carlton had already touched base with him regarding the role before today’s announcement.

Other experienced coaches that Carlton could theoretically pursue include Michael Voss, Mark Thompson and Dean Laidley. All would seem fairly far-fetched possibilities though, especially Laidley, currently a Carlton assistant, given the club has overlooked him for the interim role.

However given that the decision to recruit an experienced senior man in Mick Malthouse has failed so spectacularly, one would wonder whether the Blues will be willing to go down the same route again so soon.

It might be a better move for them to bring in a younger, untried coach willing to help build the club up from it’s current low station.

The market on the next senior coach has Sydney assistant Stewart Dew ($6) and Hawthorn assistant Brendan Bolton ($8) as the most likely options should Carlton decide to go down that path.

Dew has previously been courted by Melbourne as a potential successor to Paul Roos and Bolton gained some prominence in coaching circles with an impressive 5-0 stint as Alastair Clarkson’s stand-in last year when the three-time Hawthorn premiership coach was suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome.

You’d think Clarkson himself would be at the top of Carlton’s shopping list if available. Of course, the chances of the Blues luring Clarkson – who has coached the Hawks to back to back premierships in the last two years – would be practically zero, but they won’t be doing their due diligence if they don’t at least put in a call.

Carlton is something of a basket-case right now and most candidates for the job would be wary of getting involved – no one wants to be the next Mark Neeld.

There’s a lot of uncertainty at Carlton right now but one thing is certain, their next senior coach, whoever it is, has an enormous task ahead of them.