Port Adelaide would be 'crazy' not to ask Brett Ratten about coaching job, says Scott Camporeale

CARLTON premiership player Scott Camporeale has backed his former Blues teammate Brett Ratten to coach Port Adelaide.

Brett Ratten

CARLTON premiership player Scott Camporeale has backed his former Blues teammate Brett Ratten to coach Port Adelaide.

Camporeale - now an assistant coach to Brenton Sanderson at Adelaide - says the Power would be "crazy'' not to speak to Ratten about its vacant head coaching position.

Ratten was sacked by the Blues yesterday as the powerful Victorian club pursues West Coast and Collingwood premiership coach Mick Malthouse.

"They (Port) would be crazy not to at least speak to him,'' Camporeale said of Ratten.

"Knowing Ratts well he has a great footy brain and he is great at building relationships with players, as you would have seen from the outside with Carlton.

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"It was tough circumstances (at Carlton) but I thought he handled himself sensationally in a tough period for him.

"The club's made a decision on him and he will be no worries with that but I think Port would be crazy to at least not bang down the door to see where he is at.''

Ratten has emerged as one of the favourites to be Port's next senior coach, along with former Sydney and Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, who is now a senior assistant at Collingwood.