Brendon Bolton happy to continue with rolling contract arrangement at Carlton

CARLTON powerbrokers are so far thrilled with what Brendon Bolton has brought to the club but the coach is comfortable not to alter the terms of his unique contract that now doesn’t provide him any protection.

Carltob coach Brendon Bolton is on a rolling contract. Picture: AAP

THE AFL’S quirkiest contract will continue unchanged this year despite Brendon Bolton’s deal turning into an employment contract without protection.

Bolton signed a rolling contract that made him a member of Carlton’s staff but if he was sacked early he had financial security for the first three seasons.

The former Hawks assistant enters the third season of his contract this year as the Blues attempt to rise up the ladder after two seasons of rebuilding.

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Both the Blues and Bolton are comfortable not to alter the terms of agreement despite its unique nature.

They believe if in future years Bolton wants more security — or a rival comes knocking — they can change the nature of the contract at a later date.

As a coach with a rebuilding team and the faith of the club’s hierarchy, Bolton is under no pressure at the Blues this year.

Brendon Bolton is confortable with his current arrangement with the Blues. Picture: AAP

The contract will be pressure-tested if Carlton fails to improve as expected or over-achieves in coming years and rival clubs attempt to poach Bolton.

Bolton, who Chris Judd dubbed the most ambitious person he had met in football this week, has so far thrilled Carlton’s powerbrokers with his game plan and player development.

The plan was put in place by Blues chief executive Steven Trigg, who handed Neil Craig a rolling contract late in his role as Adelaide senior coach.

He was sacked by July of that year (2011), but his situation is very different to that of first-time coach Bolton.

The Blues are happy with what Brendon Bolton is doing at the club. Picture: Getty Images

AFL Coaches Association chief executive Mark Brayshaw is in favour of more rolling contracts, believing they reduce constant speculation.

“Those agreements are brilliant,’’ Brayshaw said recently.

“I spoke to Neil Craig who had one at Adelaide and he said it took the debate in a different direction. You are on staff and you don’t have to deal with it. It is something the industry should look at.

“The discussion about Brendon’s tenure at Carlton has a different flavour because he’s got an open-ended agreement with his employment.

“Coaches on these fixed-term agreements put their heads above the parapet every few years because they are out of contract.”