David Teague sacked by Carlton: Carlton president Luke Sayers had secret talks with coaching candidate Ross Lyon

David Teague had lost the confidence of senior players and was sacked after a confidential survey showed only 30 per cent of his side and staff supported his coaching.

David Teague has been sacked by the Blues. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

David Teague had lost the confidence of senior players and was sacked after a confidential survey showed only 30 per cent of his side and staff members supported his coaching.

The Blues on Thursday finally axed Teague and pledged to adopt more than 20 recommendations from an external review that centre around a harder edge at the club and a team with a more balanced game-style.

While many of the club’s recommendations will remain in house, the club’s findings laid bare a team that was poorly coached as Teague concentrated almost exclusively on offence — a game-plan the team was unable to execute.

Teague had the support of a number of younger players as well as those he recruited including Eddie Betts and Adam Saad who were strong proponents of his coaching style.

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David Teague had an approval rating of fewer than 30 per cent. Picture: Getty Images

But the Herald Sun can reveal the overwhelming feedback from an external review was that the coach had lost the backing of a majority of the playing group.

The review process — conducted by Geoff Walsh, Matthew Pavlich and Graham Lowe — involved more than 90 interviews but also included anonymous surveys.

The findings spoke of a disconnect between the game plan and his ability to execute it with the players.

Too many senior players believed they were regularly outcoached this year.

Players were confused about their defensive responsibilities and the game plan as a club that sacked Brendon Bolton for a lack of offence then turfed Teague for the opposite problem.

Eventually the people power that won Teague the job after his incredible run as caretaker coach was not sustained by the playing group.

Teague drove into the club on Thursday to tell the playing group he had been sacked after two and a half years in the job. He had one more year to run on his contract.

The external panel was given unfettered access to the Blues and left few stones unturned in their search for answers, although Pavlich’s research was conducted via Zoom because he was unable to fly in from Western Australia.

President Luke Sayers confirmed the wide range of club and player feedback in the interview process, saying the decision to commission the review was not perfect but was certainly exhaustive.

“We had face-to-face interviews, anonymous survey data to plates, feedback conversations and growth conversations,” Sayers said.

“The bottom line is in all of that we could have done this better and that better, but overall we think we have conducted a good process and a fair process.”

The club has moved on assistant coach Dale Amos but Liddle and football boss Brad Lloyd will remain to implement changes to the club.

Sayers said it would have been “irresponsible” to ignore the advice and give Teague another 12 months.

Preident Luke Sayers (right) said it would have been irresponsible to ignore the advice.

“It was identified that there had been confusion associated with the game plan at times and on-field, the team has underdelivered in its ability to consistently defend, win the contest and apply pressure,” he said.

“This was highlighted, but not limited to, an overt, consistent focus on offence at a detriment to the defensive side of the game.”

Carlton chief executive Cain Liddle denied there was a rift between Teague and co-captain Patrick Cripps, but said Teague’s manager Liam Pickering’s comments about Cripps’ form had not helped the club.

“Let me cover off on Teaguey and Cripper. They have a very good relationship,” Liddle said.

“They spoke at length. If Teaguey had his way, I think he would have suggested to his manager those comments about a key player at the club would not have been helpful.

“I am pretty confident he would have had those conversations. (But) we are looking at each other and demanding high standards.

“Is this going to cause some friction and tension? To get better and improve it’s exactly what they need.

“One finding of the review right across the football departments is there needs to be higher levels of accountability and we need to drive that harder.

Sayers said he felt “regret” that coach Teague had felt unsupported by the club in recent weeks.

“To just lean into that, if that’s how David is feeling I empathise and have regret,” he said.

“So if that’s David’s feeling and he did express that, I don’t feel good about that.

“Do I think there are things we could have done better through the 12-week process? Like most things in life we learn along the way.”

Sayers made clear the club needed to drive higher standards under a new coach, saying “the primary focus from this day forward will be about sustained and uncompromising high performance”.

REVEALED: BLUES PRESIDENT’S SECRET TALKS WITH LYON

Carlton president Luke Sayers had secret talks with Ross Lyon in the past two months as the club considered David Teague’s coaching future.

Sayers said on Thursday the process to choose Carlton’s ninth coach this century would begin on Friday and the pass mark for 2022 was returning the Blues to the top eight for the first time since 2013.

But it can be revealed that Lyon and Sayers have been in discussions in the back half of the season as Teague clung on to hope his side could still make a late charge at finals.

While discussions were informal, it is understood they included Lyon visiting Sayers at his home in Hawthorn east.

Carlton held secret talks with Ross Lyon over the past two months. Picture: AAP Image/Tony McDonough

It is understood new football director Greg Williams will be the board member on the panel making the appointment, with Sayers making clear he wanted an “experienced” coach.

That coaching sub-committee is likely to be formed at a board meeting on Friday.

Lyon spent all season dismissing talk he would coach again until suddenly putting his hand up last week, which he said was a change of heart inspired by a chat with Leigh Matthews.

The lack of defence in Teague’s game plan was exposed by the external review while Lyon was renowned for perfecting a stingy style which regularly had his teams in premiership contention.

Sayers has also been talking to Lyon’s former colleagues at Fremantle and St Kilda to get a sense of what the three-time Grand Final coach was like to work with.

That background work began at least six weeks ago and it is understood key figures including former Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich strongly backed in Lyon’s methods and relationships with players to Blues bosses.

It can be revealed one of the main reasons Rosich was moved on as CEO in the same 24 hours as Lyon was because he believed the senior coach deserved to be retained.

Sayers has been reassured by player managers that Lyon had the strong backing of the playing group before he and Rosich were axed by Fremantle president Dale Alcock.

The Docker players had regular dinners at Lyon’s home and after attending his house the day after he was sacked to say goodbye, they remain close with their former coach.

Beyond Lyon, Port Adelaide senior assistant Michael Voss and ex-North Melbourne coach Brad Scott would also appeal to the Blues.

Voss flew over to Ikon Park and impressed in multiple interviews in 2019 until Teague’s momentum to be named coach became unstoppable on the back of five wins from seven games as caretaker coach.

Sayers did not deny he had spoken to Lyon when he was asked on Wednesday.

Lyon has the defensive tactics that David Teague lacked. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“I am always talking to lots of people in footy,” Sayers said.

“I started this (external review) process obviously hoping in head and heart that David would be the ongoing coach of the Carlton Football Club.

“However I would be remiss in my responsibilities if I also wasn’t looking at option b), c), d) and e).

“Now we pivot and we look at people in the market that are available.”

Lyon coached in eight consecutive finals series from 2008-2015.

But after two years out of the box he said he would require state-of-the-art assistant coaches, as well as a strong football boss, to be successful now.

Blues football boss Brad Lloyd, who survived Carlton’s cull, spent seven years working with Lyon at the Dockers when he was their list manager.

Their relationship became strained towards the end of Lloyd’s 11-year tenure in 2018 and could pose a problem should Lyon lob at the Blues.

Brad Lloyd (left) could reunite with Lyon. Picture: Michael Klein

But those who have worked with both men say they approach the game from different angles which can work – and did work in 2013-15 as Fremantle finished in the top four each season and reached its first Grand Final.

Lyon is also close with veteran Blues recruiter Paul Brodie while he coached trade target Adam Cerra in 2018-19 at Fremantle.

Cerra, 21, wants to return to Victoria and is set to nominate Carlton as his preferred destination.

The Blues hold the No. 6 draft pick which some experts say would be a fair price for the classy midfielder.

Club legend John Nicholls said last week the club needed a “hard bastard” and given the review spoke of a need for more robust feedback and a harder edge he would fit the bill.