Lets be serious Dr.
The game has changed a lot since DRJ was involved in footy.
In fact, he doesnt even like the modern game.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Mitch will move on to other things no probs ...and so will the CFC...

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There's so much I could say...

Yep agree 100%

Not many of us supporters do either

How about this for a crazy idea.

What if Greg Swann acked Mitchell for his ability and results or lack of. Its not all about Pagan. Mitchell was blah. We need sensational, not blah.

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T E A M

I think a new coach should have the right to pick his own team. Swann's job is to help and assist him in getting the right people. If he wanted to run the footy department he should have applied for the coaching job.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Here's a scenario - Ratts actually agreed with Swann etc, that Michell after being at the club 6+ years had little more to offer. Ratts being mates with Mitch, and not wanting to destabilise the team, Swann offers to appear as the bad guy here and announce that Mitchell is gone and Ratten stood up for his mate.

Nice fairy tale but the reality is we've got a CEO with a power trip. Malthouse called the shots at Collingwood and now Swann is taking advantage of Carlton people kissing his a$$. Ratten not being able to start his job his own way because of club politics is a disgrace.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

If you want to blame anyone, blame Sticks. He was the one who established the precedent that an assistant could be imposed on the senior coach by a Board member, so the corollary should be that an assistant can be axed by the administration contrary to the senior coach's desires.

In particular, I reckon that Sticks relied on a technicality to retain Mitchell as VFL coach - the technicality being that he's a coach who's external to Carlton as he's the Bullant's coach. Surprise, surprise, the same technicality means that he's not strictly one of Ratten's assistants, so Ratten's view about him isn't crucial.

Swann as CEO and Icke as Manager of Football Operations have the authority and the experience to decide Mitchell's fate. In over 10 years in various coaching and fitness roles, he hasn't shown himself to be particularly cutting-edge or indispensable.

And it's a great sign that Sticks and Gleeson won't be able to treat the club as their own playpen. Now you don't have to be a mate of theirs to get a go. Hallelujah!!!

So you would have been happy for Pagan to have got rid of Mitchell last year?

Regardless of anything else, six years at one club as an assistant coach is a long stretch.

If Mitchell's career has any legs it can only benefit from stretching those legs at another club.

Whether he pops up as assistant in the AFL, or head coach in another league, or even if he gets the job at Windy Hill, I wish him all the best in his life and career.

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don't ask me, I'm just a lizard

I reckon Pratt and the board should decide who's in charge, not you.

We don't even know if Ratten really wanted to keep him. Its speculation on the reporter's part. Speculation = lies

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T E A M

When Pagan started I didn't care who he brought in because he was running the show, last year he was a dead duck after that meeting.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Don't get personal with me, just posting my opinion.

I would just like the CEO of my club to support the new coaches decisions.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Wasnt getting personal. Fact is, Swann is in charge, whether you like it or not.
If the salry package I hear about is true, then Swann is definitely in charge

Are you happy for Ratten to decide on the future of one of his good friends. How can that be anything but a conflicted biased decision

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T E A M

I consider it a loss - after all, he was considered to be capable of coaching the senior team before the board back-flipped a couple of time and eventually landed on its collective arse.

He was very good in his match planning, pre-match instructions, training the way he wanted the boys to play and he was especially good at educational reviews of game tapes with the young Carlton players in the following week. If anything, I was less impressed with his tactical efforts during matches.

His role was severely compromised this past season because - unlike previous seasons - Denis did not release the reserves players to train with Mitchell and the Bullants except when the Blues were travelling interstate.

Before Ratts arrived, I have no doubt that Mitchell was the best teaching coach at the club and was instrumental in developing many of the junior players. Kouta and Carlos were both publicly very praiseworthy of Mitchell's work with them.

I would like to think that we have only heard part of the story and that Mitchell was removed from the coaching panel so that he could be enlisted in the club's new junior developmental program.

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Hey Rocky; there are too many rabbits ... in China.

And so, it seems, was Mitchell ...

He's the head coach and should be in charge of all footy department calls. If they can't trust him to make those decisions then they shouldn't have hired him. I'm happy Swann is running the club but he shouldn't be interfering in the football business. Could you imagine him overruling Malthouse?
Swann was made a watchdog when Pagan was here because he was the worst coach in history but now he needs to take a step back and let Ratten do his own job.

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"We used to sit around and talk about how bad the game plan was." Anthony Koutoufides

Football is the business.

Hiring and firing is the CEOs job.
Ratten is there to coach the team with the support of the coaching team. He's not Grant Thomas who runs everything.

Again its all speculation, ratten may not have been very committed to mitchell. We will never know.

Once Ratten is a double premiership coach at carlton, he may get to decide who goes and stays. His input has to be important but atm esp with Mitchell, the decision isnt his

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T E A M

Cheers RR, interesting to hear that you rate him highly. Hopefully we get a good replacement