David Parkin has predicted a new golden age for Carlton

David Teague is about to lead Carlton into a new golden age. That’s the opinion of coaching great David Parkin. The Blues’ legend has anointed Teague as the man to help the club end a premiership drought that stems back to 1995.

Coaching great David Parkin says new Blues' mentor David Teague has all the tools to be a success.

One of Carlton’s greatest-ever coaches David Parkin has declared Blues’ fans who stuck fat with the club through years of futility are about to be richly rewarded.

Parkin, who led the club to premierships in 1981, ’82 and ’95, believes the young Blues can make the finals as soon as next season.

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“They’ve got a great core, they’ve drafted well and it’s a good, talented base in which supporters should be really confident about and look forward to, I reckon in the next two or three years, where they could — should — make finals and probably win some of those,” Parkin told the Herald Sun.

“Carlton supporters have remained pretty loyal, most that I know, and stuck thick through tough times and, in the end, they might just be about to get some rewards for their loyalty.

“I think building culture is something that every club understands now and has to do and I think Carlton, their leadership now is exceptional off and on field, they are in a position where they should become a real potent force in the next two or three years.”

He says a strong trade and draft period can only enhance the Blues’ chances, with the likes of Sydney’s Tom Papley, and Gold Coast’s Jack Martin targets, along with pick No.9 in the draft.

GLORY DAYS?

Parkin sees some similarities between today’s Blues and the side he took over in 1991.

He believes if the current crop can stick together into their late 20s and early 30s, a premiership is not out of reach

In 2019, the Blues won one-game less than the 1991 side — seven — and finished 16th with a percentage of 84.5 — Parkin’s team finished 11th in a 15-team competition, winning eight games with a percentage of 88.88.

By 1995, though, it had played in two Grand Finals, winning one, as the club’s drafting and outside recruiting came together.

“We had a very successful group prior to that (’91), they all got old and tried and tired. They’d done well after ’87-88, but most of those players I’d coached in the early ‘80s were gone by then and so we had to build again,” Parkin said.

“We recruited people in, like Greg Williams, who became a sensational performer for our club. We were a bit lucky (in recruiting and drafting).

“1995 was probably the oldest — we had nine or 10 players over 30 who were in that side and they were playing for their lives. There were no tomorrow’s for those blokes and they ended up winning it all.”

The likes of Stephen Kernahan (27 in 1991), Craig Bradley (a young 27), Peter Dean (26), Justin Madden (30), Stephen Silvagni (21) and Mil Hanna (24), were all at or approaching their peaks in 1991.

Fellow premiership heroes Greg Williams, Anthony Koutoufides, Earl Spalding, Andrew McKay and Scott Camporeale were yet to pull on the navy Blue.

Brett Ratten (20) — who would go on to win best and fairest in the premiership year — Fraser Brown (21) and Ang Christou (20) were youngsters still finding their way.

The current crop of Blues has an even younger age profile than the 1991 side.

Patrick Cripps (24) is already a star, they will want more from key man Mitch McGovern (24) and 22-year-old Charlie Curnow looms as their most talented prospect, along with forward mate Harry McKay (21).

Sam Docherty (25) will be like a new recruit after knee injuries ruined his past two seasons, while Nic Newman is a seasoned 26 and Kade Simpson is the grandaddy at 35.

At just 19, Sam Walsh could be the next Ratten, while the Blues will hope fellow teenagers Paddy Dow or Liam Stocker can become stars like Brown and Christou.

Ruckman Matthew Kreuzer (30) is the same age as Madden was when he won the club’s best and fairest in 1991.

Throw in 21-year-olds Sam Petrevski-Seton, Jacob Weitering, Jack Silvagni and Zac Fisher and the talented nucleus Parkin speaks of is clear.

RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB

He’s the Blues’ last premiership coach and Parkin believes David Teague — the man now charged with pulling it all together — has all the attributes to become the club’s next.

Parkin, who ran the AFL’s level three coaches course for some years, said he had stayed in touch with Teague after he graduated from the program and believes he can, one day, be a Blues’ premiership coach.

“He’s (Teague), first and foremost, an unbelievably good human being and I think that’s probably the starting point for all these critical roles,” Parkin said.

“People are starting to understand that talent’s only one part of it, the character of the person is so important and what we know is he’s a superb individual, he’ll get that place together and hopefully the tactical and strategic stuff will come through and he’ll get his just rewards.

“He’s going to be pretty good.”

David Parkin has anointed David Teague as the right man to lead Carlton to its next flag. Picture: Michael Klein

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Parkin said he was proud to see three caretaker coaches appointed to senior roles in Teague, Rhyce Shaw at North Melbourne and Brett Ratten at St Kilda.

“That’s the first time it’s happened in history, the three caretakers all got the call up,” Parkin said.

“Caretaker is probably the best interview you can do and certainly each of them did sufficient to say that unless you’ve got an outstanding candidate somewhere else, the one that you’ve got in place is probably as good as you can get at this time.

“That was three blokes who were all good quality guys who were rewarded and the clubs, I think, have done the right thing in each case.”

Originally published as David Parkin has predicted a new golden age for Carlton