Carlton president Mark LoGiudice says the club has not spoken to Alastair Clarkson or other candidates

As the pressure intensifies on David Teague, Carlton’s president has shed light on whether the club has been in contact with Alastair Clarkson or other candidates.

Carlton has insisted it has not approached Alastair Clarkson or any other potential new coaches for next year as the pressure intensifies on David Teague.

Outgoing Carlton president Mark LoGiudice firmly rejected any suggestions that the club was canvassing for a new coach for 2022.

Carlton expects an independent football department review to be delivered later this week, which LoGiudice said will then be considered by the board before any decision was made.

“I can tell you categorically this, no one has spoken to anyone else about coaching the footy club,” he said.

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When pressed specifically if Carlton has approached Clarkson, who finishes up after 17 years at Hawthorn this season, LoGiudice said: “No, not even a cheeky text message.

“We’ve made a commitment that until we get this review and know where we’re heading, then there’s no need to speak to anybody.”

Hawthorn must pay Clarkson $900,000 if he does not coach next year to honour the final year of his contract.

The AFL’s soft cap on football department payments mean that the Blues would be unable to pay him much more than that figure.

Mark LoGiudice pictured when he took over the top job at Carlton. Picture: Colleen Petch

Collingwood has already put in a call to Clarkson to coach the Pies next year.

“If he goes to Collingwood, then he goes to Collingwood. We will deal with it after we have done the review,” LoGiudice said.

“I’m biased but there’s no doubt any coach should come to Carlton. It’s a great club to coach but right now we’re committed to waiting on the review and David Teague is the coach.”

Former coaches Brad Scott, Justin Leppitsch and Ross Lyon have also been linked to the Carlton job.

LoGiudice, 52, is stepping down from the Carlton presidency after eight years in the job, handing over the reins to Luke Sayers, a former chief executive officer at accountancy firm PwC who has now gone out to set up his own consultancy.

LoGiudice will also leave the board as he has reached his 12-year term limit.

He said setting up an AFLW team, a $50 million renovation at Ikon Park, wiping the club’s $8m debt and increasing membership to more than 80,000 this year were the proudest achievements during his time at the helm.

LoGiudice also set up the Carlton in Business network, which now has 153 members.

“I hope I get remembered for rebuilding the off field and putting the football teams in place that over the next few years can bring home some silverware,” he said.

“You can only leave the place that you go to better than when you first started and I think that we are miles in front there.”

He pointed to Geelong, Hawthorn and Richmond’s stable off field success as a key part of those clubs flag wins.

David Teague remains coach of Carlton pending the outcome of a review. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

In a wide-ranging interview, LoGiudice also revealed that he had not spoken to former list manager Stephen Silvagni in 12 months.

However, he said they do text each other, following the favourite son’s bitter departure from Ikon Park.

Silvagni claimed that Carlton chief executive Cain Liddle had told LoGiudice that the decorated full back would “sabotage” the club if he had stayed on as list manager.

Liddle rejected the accusation.

LoGiudice refused to comment on what was said.

“I’ve been stuck in the middle a couple of times in my role at the footy club, and I’m not about to get in there again,” he said.

Since 2012, Carlton sacked Brett Ratten, Mick Malthouse, and Brendon Bolton, with Teague now likely to join those ranks.

The independent Carlton review, led by ex-Collingwood football boss Geoff Walsh, has spoken to people within the club and also other people in the AFL industry.

LoGiudice was adamant that the report would remain confidential, particularly as it had spoken to outsiders on the basis they would not be named.

Alastair Clarkson has been forced to hand over the top job at Hawthorn to Sam Mitchell, but can coach elsewhere in 2022. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

The Blues board has been under pressure from Carlton supporters angry at the club’s on field performance, led by former “Carltonians” coterie group president Vince Loccisano.

John Hollingsworth, who previously tried to get a director’s position, has backed Loccisano.

He had claimed a “power drunk” Carlton board which had “arrogance and audacity on steroids” was trying to change the constitution to make it harder for members to call an Extraordinary General Meeting.

A vote on proposed changes has been postponed.

Loccisano and LoGiudice were best men at each other’s weddings but have not spoken since May.

“I’ve got broad shoulders but the most disappointing part is that I would have thought if he had an issue with the constitution changes that were proposed, I would have thought the right thing to do would be to pick up the phone,” he said.

LoGiudice and Loccisano had missed calls from each other before the challenge to the board was put on the back page of the Herald Sun.

But LoGiudice said his best man did not say he was about to go public with his criticism of Carlton in the message left on his phone.

“I didn’t even know it was about Carlton or the constitution,” he said.

“I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say we should have won more games of footy, we should have played finals this year, but that doesn’t mean you turn the whole place upside down,” he said.

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Originally published as Carlton president Mark LoGiudice says the club has not spoken to Alastair Clarkson or other candidates