AFL: Brett Ratten withstands pressure to re-sign as St Kilda coach for two more seasons
St Kilda is backing stability to lead the club to an elusive second premiership, with Brett Ratten to continue as coach.
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Brett Ratten will remain as St Kilda’s coach for at least two more seasons after leading the Saints back to finals contention this year.
St Kilda announced Ratten’s new deal on Friday morning, after he first took over as Alan Richardson’s short-term replacement in 2019 then won the job outright.
His teams have won 90 of the 175 games he has coached and played in four finals series.
The former champion Carlton midfielder, who also coached the Blues for five-and-a-bit seasons, was considered to be under extreme pressure to keep his job entering the year.
Saints president Andrew Bassat said Ratten, who started as a senior assistant at St Kilda, had proven he was the “best person” to take the club forward.
“As the leader of our men’s program, Brett has secured significant buy-in from his fellow coaches, staff and players alike,” Bassat said.
“In addition to his strong football IQ; our players appreciate his ability to develop strong relationships, which he uses as a foundation to challenge each individual to get better and to deliver their role for the team.
“This balance, and the ability to unite his coaches, players and staff in a relentless quest for excellence makes Brett the best person to lead us towards our much longed-for second premiership.”
Ratten, 50, was widely hailed for St Kilda’s successful 2020 season, when it not only reached the finals in the Covid-interrupted campaign but beat the Bulldogs to make the second week.
But the Saints slipped back to 10th in a disappointing follow-up last year before losing in round 1 to a Collingwood team that finished 17th last season and had a new coach in Craig McRae.
What looked a bad result at the time doesn’t look that way now, with the much-improved Magpies sitting in sixth place with a 10-5 record.
St Kilda has a superior percentage to Collingwood but with one fewer win and is barely outside the top eight.
The turnaround is often credited to some frank club-wide meetings midway through last season that set in motion a series of changes.
“We have seen Brett adapt and grow since assuming the position of senior coach ahead of the 2020 season,” Bassat said.
“His re-entry into the senior coaching chair has not been easy, tackling two years of Covid interruptions, hub life and the unavailability of players and staff through injury and illness.
However, his focus on the continual improvement of not only our players, but his fellow staff and himself has been ever-present.
“We must be unrelenting and embrace each day as a chance to improve. Brett exemplifies this urgency daily, not only through his coaching, but through the transparent and authentic way he draws the best out of those around him.
“His genuine belief and deep understanding of where we all want this club to go is clear in each decision he makes, and even more so by the way he brings others along with him.
“Brett and his family embody the spirit of the Saints, and I am proud to have him leading us forward.”
Ratten also had assistant coaching stops at Melbourne, Carlton and Hawthorn, where he was part of the Hawks’ flag three-peat, on top of coaching Norwood in 2006.
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Originally published as AFL: Brett Ratten withstands pressure to re-sign as St Kilda coach for two more seasons
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