Carlton great and new football director Greg Williams has challenged the Blues to lift their standards as the embattled AFL club continues the search for its next coach.
The dual Brownlow Medallist returned to the Blues in August and is heading up the panel charged with appointing Carlton’s third coach in four seasons, following David Teague’s sacking.
Williams emphasised he had shared many club greats’ frustrations at Carlton being “average or below average” since their 1995 premiership and had taken on the role in a bid to fix that.
“The players are well looked after, but they’re going to be tested. We’ve been average for too long. The players have got to lift and the whole club has got to lift,” Williams told the Carlton website.
“I’m confident with the board and the people we get in that we’ll be getting back to clubs worrying about us when they play us. That’s the main thing.
“It’ll be made very clear that the standards are going to be a lot higher than they’ve been and the players know that. They’re all so excited, they all want to be here, no-one wants to leave.
“The frustration, I understand it. But we are going to turn it around.”
Key to that will be selecting the right coach with Carlton already missing out on two key targets.
Former Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson is determined to take 2022 off, while Ross Lyon pulled out of the running earlier this month.
Port Adelaide senior assistant Michael Voss on Monday confirmed he’d had discussions with the Blues.
“The process is different for different people, for different levels of coaches,” Williams said.
“It’s a short list, we’ve picked a short list of quality coaches and we’re looking forward to, in the next few weeks, coming up with the right person.”
The Blues last week saw chief executive Cain Liddle exit the club, with Carlton linked to a move for Geelong counterpart Brian Cook.
Macca
Roar Rookie
You remind me of a quote from Abe Simpson; "I used to be with 'it', but then they changed what 'it' was. Now what I'm with isn't 'it' and what's 'it' seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to you too!"
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Have you taken to wearing socks? Welcome to older age.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
I hear you, man! It's not Little League! It's not Touch Football! Stop trying to make it so fn sanitary. My sock draw really is more interesting than most games these days.
chrisT
Guest
Spot on. Not to mention vested interests using the football club as a vehicle to push their woke agenda cringe worthy orange socks crapola. Leave politics out of football - get good at footballing as your primary objective (common sense I would have thought) without all these sideshow distractions. We get bombarded with all that nonsense constantly elsewhere, even at work. Is a 2 hr break from pc lunacy too much to ask? Give me 70s/80s VFL any day over this thing resembling netball being passed off as Australian Rules these days...STAND! RAISE YOUR HAND WHO IS NOMINATED FOR THE RUCK PLEASE! Politics ruining sport right before your eyes. Rant complete.
Kane
Roar Rookie
This is the football attitude that's been missing for far too long. They've been to concerned about making money and forgotten that the club is about football. Diesel will be great for the club in this role, he won't stand for blokes who won't have a go.