When David Teague was unveiled as the head coach of the Carlton Football Club on Thursday morning, the winds of change had finally swept through Princes Park.
Not only did they blow the selection committee away through sheer weight of results on the field that would have forced their hand, but it blew away a murky smell that has been rotting the club for the better part of 150 years.
For so long at the Blues, decisions have been made by the faceless men – the faceless cashed-up men from the back room calling the shots.
As the years rolled on and the different appointments were made as different coaches were moved on, the fear among the supporters was real.
Who would they try to get next? Which name will they dangle a godfather sized offer too next? This is what Carlton have been after ever since they became a big, powerful club in the mid-1960s.
Ron Barassi, David Parkin, Robert Walls, Alex Jesaulenko, Denis Pagan, Mick Malthouse. All giants of the game in their own right, and have all carried the mantle as senior coach of Carlton over a period of time.
For some success followed, and for some, it went totally pear-shaped. The lure of a name and a messiah has always been a priority to the powers of this club. Unfortunately, this clouded view stunted the Blues from growing and evolving as the competition has in the last 20 years.
The appointment of David Teague brings a breath of fresh air and a new age to the Carlton Football Club.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
A modest 83 games across two clubs with a best and fairest win at Carlton along the way. An honest country lad from Katandra who lives and breathes football. While his name certainly doesn’t have the clout and the draw of a messiah like some of the names before him, the appointment represents a leap into the now.
As David King told Fox Footy, “This is the first time Carlton has joined the AFL in about 20 years”. Three-time Carlton premiership player and club great Mark Maclure agreed.
When Carlton appointed Brendon Bolton, the message was relayed that this was about the process of picking a person who would not only coach but nurture and mould the playing group to a level of sustained success.
While the Bolton tenure ultimately didn’t work and results piled up against him, the nucleus and foundation of a good list and platform had been set. All that was required was for a good coach to come in and continue on the right path.
Whether Carlton were backed into a corner to install David Teague as the permanent coach remains to be seen, but this has all the makings of a very good decision.
The Teague appointment brings an end to the era of just expecting dominance and displaying arrogance at every move.
The Carlton board ratified that when they appointed the coach was right for them – not one with a big name, a recognisable face, and a standing in the game that they initially thought they wanted.
They appointed someone who is authentic and in the modern world. This is a definite sign that Carlton are finally getting their act together and growing up.
From the player-coach of the Northern Bullants ten years ago to being an assistant at three different clubs across the country to now coaching the senior team where the journey began for him, David Teague – with the masses of Carlton fans, players, assistant coaches and media hounds behind him – enters the pressure cooker as a full-time AFL senior coach.
It’s back where it all started for him. We will look back with the benefit of hindsight in years to come and question if it was a knee-jerk decision to a groundswell of support or if he was genuinely the right man for the job.
But the belief is building at Ikon Park as the Teague train has arrived permanently at the station. And with it comes fresh air and fresh belief that something finally feels right at his club.
Steve Franklin
Roar Rookie
Your right it was Judd who was holding the process up he wanted an experienced coach not Teague, it was the pressure of the fans and the player's that overruled Judd and if Judd had got his way the club would have been stuffed once again Judd needs to go back to Perth and leave the club alone.
Kane
Roar Rookie
You would think if their approach was too narrow then they would have appointed an experienced senior coach. Silly comment that is trying to prove a nonsense point.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
So James, when Essendon sack Worsfold should they go into their process without thinking what type of coach they want?
Macca
Roar Rookie
"Because their direction was changed by factors beyond their control?" That is exactly what the process is, opening yourself up to factors beyond their control. If they only considered "factors under their control" they wouldn't have changed direction.
Macca
Roar Rookie
"I don’t think that they reached Y by following the process at all" What you think and what happened are far removed. There is a very good article (I think in the Age) today about how all the players completed a psychological profile which was then combined and used to match up with the traits the candidates demonstrated in their profile. Do you think they simply went through all that (and wasted the time of the 5 panelists one of which runs a recruiting company) simply to bow to fan pressure? The one thing I will say is that Teague had the advantage of incumbency, he got to perform on game day in front of the likes of Brad Lloyd and he got to put some runs on the board but again this isn't the process getting away from them, just them going where the process took them.
JamesH
Roar Guru
..Because their direction was changed by factors beyond their control? You've pretty much just hit on my point, Col. It's not intended as an insult and the board deserves credit for coming around to the right process eventually. It just appears that their initial focus was too narrow, perhaps as a result of feeling burned by the appointment of a rookie coach in Bolton. They wanted experience and they simply didn't see Teague as a potential candidate for the job. He proved their initial thinking wrong.
JamesH
Roar Guru
"They went in thinking they wanted X but
following the processdue to fan and player pressure and the results Teague was achieving it was determined that Y was the best option." I don't think that they reached Y by following the process at all, at least not their initial intended process. Judd's comments indicate that their intent was to go out and hire an experienced coach. My impression (and again, just from the outside) is that they were forced to re-think their process due to changes in circumstance.anon
Roar Pro
He's earned the right to coach them for the next couple years. If it doesn't work out, you just sack him and bring in someone new. You're never going to get it right 100% of the time. Nothing wrong with making mistakes, but to persist with a mistake like Bolton was wrong.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
JamesH, when you start a process surely you have a direction in your mind you think you should follow. That’s what Carlton did when they believed their best bet was to look for an experienced coach eg Clarkson. I am sure they didn’t expect Teague to have the effect on the teams performances that he has. I don’t understand why you feel the board lost control of the process when their process discovered that Teague was the best suited for the job.
Macca
Roar Rookie
JamesH - to me this is just more evidence the process worked. They went in thinking they wanted X but following the process it determined that Y was the best option. They didn't stick with their pre-conceived ideas they allowed the process to dictate.
asd
Guest
good coaches are like a good beer if you find 1 you stick with it i give him 40% chance of success
JamesH
Roar Guru
Later in the piece the process certainly appeared to be more robust. Earlier on though, the board seemed determined to go for experience based on what happened with Bolton. Judd’s exact quote (from 9 July) was: “We want an experienced coach that can take us to the next level. (Teague) is getting some really good coaching experience now. He’s in effect coached his own team, but that’s not really the same as being an actual senior coach of a football team with the pressure that comes with that.” The only logical conclusion for an outsider looking in is that the board initially wasn’t willing to entertain an inexperienced coach. Once they were pushed in that direction by fan/player support and wins on the board, they warmed to the idea and tailored the process accordingly. That smells like the tail wagging the dog to me. Again though, just an outside perspective.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Let’s wait and see, they said the same thing about Bolton when he was appointed. Good luck to Teague, he has had a great start and seems a good choice. The Blues have been down a long, long time, so their supporters will expect a climb now.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
When Bolton was sacked Carlton had no specific coach in mind(apart from Clarkson if he was available). They believed they needed an experienced coach and that was their agenda. Appointing Teague as an interim coach was not a guarantee that he would be appointed as full time coach and even at that stage Teague did not know whether he wanted to be a senior coach or had the attributes needed. Over the course of his tenure as interim coach he has shown that he has the attributes and has the backing of the playing list. He has apparently sat down with the selection committee 8 times and obviously they came to the belief that he was the best person for the job and thus they did not need to approach other coaches. I don’t know how someone can say that the board lost control of the process because their process was to find the coach they believed would be best for the club. In Teague they believe they have found the best.
Boo
Guest
Macca, I have been critical of the Blues over the years but credit where its due they look like there on an upward projection good luck to there loyal supporters.Your probably right it was a case of when for Teague not if for the job.I was speaking generally wondering why clubs appoint coaches before the end of the season.Maybe Teague will follow the likes of Hafey and Clarkson and have a coaching career that dwarfs there playing days.
Will Cuckson
Roar Rookie
The lure of a name and a messiah has always been a priority to the powers of this club. Unfortunately, this clouded view stunted the Blues from growing and evolving as the competition has in the last 20 years. Completely agree. Especially with the appointment of Malthouse, that mentality only hampered the team's chances of rising up the ladder in those years and ultimately resulted in the list overhaul from 2015. Even though Bolton wasn't able to get the results as coach and his sacking was definitely justified, it's sad to see that he won't reap the rewards of the young list he fostered over the next few years.
Macca
Roar Rookie
From what I have heard Voss only got a second interview because they didn't think he could be as bad as his first but he was, Lyon & Clarkson rules themselves out, Scott still hasn't decided if he wants to coach next year and Ratten seems like he wants (and will get) the St Kilda job. So the complete lack of more experienced options and the fact that Teague has really impressed so far, is coaching a style that suits our list, is attractive to watch and is competitive and he has the full support of the playing group made the decision a no brainer. To me this is the process working (the best candidate rose to the top), not getting out of control.
Macca
Roar Rookie
I was about to write the same thing, the process we went through to appoint Teague is exactly the same as the one we went through to appoint Bolton, but the idea of the blues clinging to the old back room deals days is too good a story. As for appointing Teague now, I think the choice became clear so there was no advantage in waiting while having our coach set can only help trying to land the likes of Coniglio.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Not that I don't think Teague is the right guy for the job - he seems to fit that calm, professional, modern coach prototype well - but it feels like the board lost control of the process to a point. Judd was on Footy Classified not long ago saying that the club wasn't going to rush into making a decision and they wanted an experienced coach. They clearly had their eye on the likes of Voss, Lyon and Scott. Fast forward a couple of months and, two weeks out from the end of the season, they appoint the least experienced candidate. Again, not a bad call. I've been pretty vocal that I'm not a fan of re-appointing tried coaches when there are younger, more relatable coaches out there with a real hunger to prove themselves. I just think this is a case of getting the right result in spite of the board's (initial) approach.
Liam Clark
Roar Guru
Glad Teague got the job, he has done a good job with the team he has so far, and I'm excited to see what he can do with a whole season with this young group