Carlton’s embattled leadership group deserves better, so stay out of the blue, Bruce Mathieson

BRUCE Mathieson has to learn to play a team game. At 0-4, the club is already destabilised and he is destabilising it even more.

BRUCE Mathieson has to learn to play a team game.

At 0-4, the club is already destabilised and he is destabilising it even more and, at the same time, treating some decent men with disdain.

One of them is president Stephen Kernahan. Another is chief executive Greg Swann.

It’s interesting that Mathieson hasn’t gone after the coach, Mick Malthouse.

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Is he aligned to Malthouse? Did he help influence the board to sack Brett Ratten for Malthouse? Are his pokies riches helping to pay Malthouse’s salary?

The coach aside, Mathieson’s bombs from Queensland aimed at Kernahan and Swann lack dignity.

Mathieson may have put in millions and love the club, but Kernahan has put in his heart and soul, certainly as a premiership captain and certainly as a president when no one else wanted to put up their hand.

Kernahan is already leaving. It will happen after the 150-year celebration dinner in June.

But, no, Mathieson says he has to go now.

Mathieson clearly knows how to run a business. But there is a human element to football clubs, more than, say, running thousands of mind-numbing pokies which plague middle to low socio-economic neighbourhoods.

Kerhanan deserves a dignified exit, not another Mathieson torpedo.

It’s why Kernahan took umbrage yesterday, revealing a snippet of Mathieson’s mindset a decade ago when he wanted to “throw the keys in”.

Now, Mathieson wants to throw Kernahan out the door.

A club without honour is a club without soul.

Long-time Blues people might beat their chests and say that’s how we roll at Carlton, that success comes before everything and anyone, but the days of getting away with treating people like commodities went with the Sunday barrel, snags and hangovers.

If Mathieson treats Kernahan like this, then what of the ‘’little people” at Carlton?

Swann is also in the gun. It is strongly suggested he will be sacked at a board meeting after Easter.

Mathieson wants him gone now. “He has to go,” Mathieson said, “100 per cent he has to go. Start afresh.”

So much for eradicating Carlton’s debt, thanks for the new facilities at Visy Park, thanks for helping to land Malthouse, thanks for year on year profits, thanks for returning the Blues to the finals.

Mistakes have been made, and recruiting is Exhibit A, but Kernahan and Swann don’t deserve Mathieson’s public trashing.

You would love to say its unbecoming, but we are talking Carlton.