Elwood,

I usually hold your opinions in really high regard. It is because of this that I want to give you a go to express your opinion so I can consider what you are trying to say.

Why is it that you have so consistenly been pushing a barrel against the club over this one?

Do you agree that as of yet - no club which has followed a process more closely like the one you advocate has yet won a flag?

Would you agree that four weeks of coaching is in fact the best audition for the job?

Whilst Kernahan has made obvious mistakes before, do you give him any points for sticking to the club over the past ten years when almost everyone else has gone out the door?

How highly do you rate the abilities of Swann and Icke?

Feel free to disagree with any of the above questions and the way they have been phrased. I'm just really interested to hear why this has got you going so much... because I am struggling to understand it. (Don't take that personally - sometimes I am a little 'dizzy' )

EB they tell me Dick has a bloke who hold all sorts of records and company awards for making boxes who advises him on who he should appoint as managers in the Visy group

It sort of like a Mr Burns and Smithers kind of relationship


Get a grip will you you are only speculating that due process wasn't carried out. Ratts has been interviewed for the past 12 months they know what they are getting

_________________
If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Like your work Molly and dont have a problem with any of your questions/opinions....

My major sticking point with the club is a conflict of interest with Kernahan being a major decision maker in appointing a new coach and Brett Ratten being a good mate of his.....Ratten himself isnt the issue.
Kernahan should not be involved in a decision to appoint Ratten, proper business practice hould dictate that,
Gary Lyon offered to step aside at Melb while Connolly is an applicant....Sticks should have offered to do the same.

The club has been a mess off the field for a long period now and Kernahan has been a major factor in creating that mess IMHO....Sticks is a good man to have MCing functions and entertaining the faithfull but is a simpleton when it comes to business and should have been voted off the board when Elliott was dismissed however his popularity with the masses sees him survive...The fact that he has made obvious mistakes should have him nowhere near any important decision making ...

I rate Greg Swann as a good operator, Stephen Icke according to Caroline Wilson wasnt a major player in the coaching appointment....

I wanted a transparent process to find a new coach and some signal that the old ways of doing things are over and this is a new era.....while Sticks remains at the wheel that wont happen IMHO...at the end of the day I think Sticks wields more power than Greg Swann and has the support of the masses and Dick Pratt and that doesnt give me confidence....

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

So far this "new" board has not put a foot wrong.

They promised a turn around in finances - it has been delivered;

They promised a turn around in the admin area - it has been delivered;

They promised hope for the supporters - it has been delivered;

Why do the conspiracy theorists think that simply because Sticks was involved in the appointment of Ratten that our very well credentialed and thus far successful board, would blindly follow him if the decision was not in the club's absolute best interest.

Perhaps they have managed to get this one right as well. Time will tell but slagging the club has become an art form for some on here.

_________________
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

You are missing the point.....I wanted others interviewed and not in a token manner. The club had one interview with Bond and McKenna, said they were impressive and then dismissed them......surely you would interview them a second time..maybe they were too impressive?

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Cheers for the response Elwood,

and I won't take issue with it... apart from to say that (and this is directed at the whole site... not just you) Pratt is no fool, and he trusts Kernahan to make the right decisions. Yes Sticks has stuffed up before, but maybe he needed a really strong and astute President to work with, and now he has one??? Pratt isn't a billionaire because he has surrounded himself with muppets... I dare say he has weeded out plenty of fools before. He must at least believe Sticks' contribution is valuable? It is a point that is at least worth considering from all of us.

Regardless, whilst I don't agree with your criticism of the process, I respect it. Because I know that you have been on this site for so long, and the main reason you are being critical is because you are hurting just as much as the rest of us, and don't want to see us fall into old habits.

In the end, I know we will both be drinking to the fact that we hope Ratten is the right man for the job. Here's cheers!

EB

Perhaps they weren't particularly impressive. If so, the club has done the right thing and not publicly belittled them.

It is possible to read the scenario 2 ways;

1. The club cocked it up and it was a foregone conclusion and your theory holds true. Or

2. They interviewed who they thought were the best available and were not impressed with Bond or McKenna. Added to this they witnessed a resurgence in the team under Ratten and made a decision accordingly.


Don't forget that Bond was talked up for the Saints and missed it. Both Bond and McKenna were talked up for Melb and have both missed the shortlist. Of the other potential available coaches (Harvey, Sheedy, Laidley, Bailey, Riley, et al) do any of these standout as being as suitable for our circumstances as Ratten. I think not. Therefore, I trust that the board has made the correct decision given our current circumstances and who is available.

_________________
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

Agree Pratt is no fool , but I think Sticks icon status as a player cuts him a bit of slack even with a smart operator like Dick Pratt.
Probably been on the site too long!!
I like things done correctly and want the clubs image improved especially in the area of off field admimistration. I dont want to see us as a talking point on footy classified or any other show or questioning how we go about things....being the best in the business is what I want the Carlton football club to be...
For what its worth I like Brett Ratten and think he is a honest bloke who will try his hardest to make the club a winner on the field......
Look forward to having a drink with you and the others when we do snag a flag....

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

This whole 'process' thing is a load of crap. As if someone with the shrewd business minds of Swann and Pratt would just appoint any old Tom, Dick or Harry to do the job.. FFS!!
Look at St.Kilda who went through that whole process thing last year and ended up chosing Ross Lyon.. Well they havent exactly gone forward under him have they..

_________________
James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

What a great recruit. I am wrapped .. go Ratts! He will make a huge difference

Need to lose the last two games though

they didn't act on the pagan - mitchell fiasco, allowed a ridiculous situation to bubble along, while all could see it was distraction and not a situation that should have continued as it was not moving the club FWD.

other than that there is nothing significant that they have botched up.

By extension you are saying that the entire board has failed in their duties. They are there to question and ensure that all decisions are made in the best interests of the club, not to rubber stamp whatever Pratt wants.

That is a big accusation. Its also insulting to them. If you thinks thats the case, then the entire board must go.

_________________
T E A M

I have a lot of time for what Elwood is saying..

I think it would be expected that the board would go with the recommendations of the coaching selection panel especially if that decison was being endorsed by Kernahan and Swann......no brainer really...
I doubt if Sticks conflict of interest would be discussed....

_________________
"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

I'm extremely uncomfortable with Kernahan's involvement but not overly concerned about the fact that we didn't follow a "process" based on what that seems to be at the moment. As others have pointed out - if you're convinced that the person you want is the right fit then you should just appoint them. If Roos had been available and we'd signed him up without looking at anyone else then I don't think too many would have been disappointed.

Melbourne has Kevin Sheedy doing personality tests this week which are either going to confirm that he is:

a) a genius

or

b) a doddery old fool passed his use by date

...depending on what they want it to show. If you've been following football for the last 27 years I think you're likely to know more about Sheedy that any one hour personality test is likely to show. "The process" at Melbourne has become a charade a la St Kilda.

Ratten's as good a choice as any based on what anyone outside the interview process can possibly know. He'll have my support until he show's he's not capable of doing what's needed.

Kernahan's now got his mate up and I'm sure his dick's swinging on a wider arc this morning but if he were to step aside from the decision making from today then I'd be a lot happier overall.

_________________
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

You have to be kidding if you believe all individuals have a voice on a board.
Pratt knows what needs to be done and is implementing the kinds of changes that he believes the club needs... and is bringing sources of expertise into the club to help make those positive decisions.
Having said that im sure the club is in a mode of changing over the guard.. in the meantime there are some people who still have more influence than others... and some of those board members still dont understand whats best for the club....
Sure the mistakes are going to be fewer and farther between... and those people who do have influence who perhaps shouldnt.. can still bugger things up till theyre completely phased out.. i dont believe were at the point where some of those people have been completely phased out yet... but were close.
The board is a board but some of the people on the board have very little inflkuence and are currently just making up the numbers... theyre just going along with whatever is going on above them... till Dicks axe comes down when he beieves he has the right people in place at board level and admin.

Were not yet there!!!

Should start to see some further changes after the end of the season.Board members will begin 'retiring''..... and more savvy people will begin to further bolster up the admin ranks with their expertise.,

Id be hoping Sticks can step away with the day to day decision making duties.

Having said that Swann has the REAL say...
Sticks is there looking important.....with Gleeson... but their influence and the influence of so many others is diminishing...
Pratt is all seeing ...all knowing............
He hasnt puped millions into the club to allow the lunatics to run the assylum....he knows what he wants in place.. and he is scoring everybody.

One bloke who has done a heap of work is Zac Fried.. and i will now say i was wrong about him.
Some of the others are doing a Campo.... looking busy... but they havent really put their mind to the task or their hand into the pocket.

Spme blokes not necessarily on the board have a red line put through their names for hesitating.. or looking away when stuff needs tpo be done.

Pratt is a doer!!!

Were not there yet.. but were a hell of alot closer now than we have been for a long long time.

I have no doubt that when the dust has settled were the biggest and greatest.. AGAIN!!!

_________________
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Great to have a true blue Carlton champ as coach of the club.

Hasn't put a step wrong so far.

Also impressed when he fronts the media - seems natural, sincere and a good bloke.

Go Ratts, Go Blues, and roll on 2008!

_________________
No Guts, No Glory

As I was saying earlier in this thread, I didnt like the fact that we employed old Carlton tactics in selecting our coach.
I would have liked Gerard Healy and Robert Walls to have given their opinion on prospective candiates- perhaps ranked them in a number of areas out of 10, and then chosen a coach with this in mind.

I dont care about a 5 month PR driven process, but I wanted a wider range of opinions sought then merely Kernahan, Gleeson Swann and Icke.

In saying that, I love Ratts as a bloke and he has done a floorless job so far- so lets hope the right choice was made.

We should have gone the psychological test!

_________________
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Josh,

the problem with Wallsy is that he would have changed his mind every 2nd day about who to recommend and Healy would have to get off the fence and offer an opinion on something for a change

_________________
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.