Brett Ratten opens up on departure from Carlton, his new job at St Kilda and his coaching future
THERE is clearly unfinished business for Brett Ratten as he takes on a new job at St Kilda in a very different environment for AFL coaches than when he was sacked by Carlton.
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BRETT Ratten says his senior coaching flame still flickers, believing the blame for poor results is more evenly shared than when he was sacked by Carlton in 2012.
Ratten, now happy as an assistant at St Kilda beside good mate Alan Richardson, was sacked by the Blues with a year to go on his contract despite an 11-11 season record and a fifth-place finish the year prior.
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History says Mick Malthouse took the Blues backwards as the highly-paid replacement.
Ratten, 47, isn’t bitter and remains content with an assistant coaching resume that includes three consecutive flags with Hawthorn and the potential for growth at the Saints.
But as a senior coach, if he wasn’t at the wrong place in 2012, he was certainly in the wrong time.
Damien Hardwick, Nathan Buckley, and even Richardson, are proof that football has adopted a more forgiving attitude towards its figureheads.
Mark Thompson was the anomaly in 2006, but may now be the norm.
“I think the industry has got it right. If someone has a bad year they actually show a bit of patience,” Ratten told the Herald Sun.
“The (football department) soft cap might have helped a bit, but I think clubs and the industry now have more of a commonsense approach and actually dig a bit deeper than actually just looking at the W and L next to people’s names.
“Whether people say you’re making excuses or this happened and that happened, there’s a reality sometimes.
“If you’ve used 41 players like we did at the Blues in my last year that’s actually a reality. It’s not trying to create something to pass blame, it’s something to consider in the argument.
“I think clubs are a lot more business savvy with that now and they make good decisions around their coaches and they’re a lot more supportive as opposed to the quick fix that doesn’t work.
“Brendon Gale at Richmond; it was fantastic to see him support ‘Dimma’ and the next minute they get success and I think that shows where the industry is heading now.”
Ratten’s coaching resume reads 60 wins, 59 losses and a draw. He led the Blues to four finals, with a 1-3 return, after taking over from Denis Pagan in mid-2007.
There’s clearly unfinished business, but whether he ever gets the chance remains unclear.
“Like anything in life, you don’t know what’s around the corner and what opportunity will present itself or what’s in front of you,” he said.
“Water will find its own level with that and if someone asks one day, then maybe. But I’m pretty happy doing what I’m doing and I’m excited to be at St Kilda.”
Ratten hasn’t occupied the senior chair for six years, but has spent that time alongside Alastair Clarkson at the all-conquering Hawks.
He said his “man management” skills had improved and that he would no longer sweat the “small stuff” he admitted to doing at the Blues where he had a strong emotional attachment as a 255-game player.
Ratten’s appointment as the forwards coach at St Kilda is part of an off-field overhaul that has also seen Graeme Allan, Brendon Lade, new list manager James Gallagher and data analyst Darren O’Shaughnessy join the club.
“It’s a great challenge here with a young, but exciting list,” Ratten said of life at Moorabbin.
“There’s new facilities and this is a team that has played some good footy, but last year had a blip on the radar and are not where they want to be.
And in Richardson, the chemistry is already there.
“We had a great connection at the Blues and it’s great to rekindle that,” he said.
“Our kids play basketball together and we played vets years ago at Park Orchards.
“Gee, he could sneak forward Richo. Nothing had changed.”
Originally published as Brett Ratten opens up on departure from Carlton, his new job at St Kilda and his coaching future