By Sam McClure and Jake Niall
The future of embattled Carlton coach David Teague is set to be decided this week when the club’s board is given the findings of an external review into the Blues’ football department.
The review - conducted by Geoff Walsh, Matthew Pavlich and Graham Lowe - has been completed and the board, anxious to see the report, will discuss it for the first time at an unscheduled board meeting on Thursday.
Teague and his football boss Brad Lloyd went into the review under significant pressure, and recent losses to the lowly North Melbourne and Gold Coast Suns have done nothing to improve their situation.
Disenchanted: Carlton coach David Teague.Credit: Getty Images
Carlton insist that the findings of the review - and any consequences - will not be made public until the end of the home and away season, with incoming president Luke Sayers committed to a rigorous process.
Several senior sources at Carlton have indicated to The Age that Teague - particularly since the loss to the Kangaroos - has appeared a disenchanted figure in recent weeks.
Blues chief executive Cain Liddle had, before the football department review, publicly declared that Teague would coach in 2022.
While Teague is contracted for next year, his team’s poor form is compounded by the recent situation surrounding Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, who is now available to coach from 2022.
Former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon would also be high up on the club’s list, if Teague departs.
While Teague and Lloyd’s futures are likely to be decided by the findings of the review, highly respected fitness boss Andrew Russell is contracted for next season on a deal comparable with that of the senior coach.
The handing down of the review comes as the Blues are also having to deal with a push for an extraordinary general meeting from influential member Vince Loccisano.
Loccisano, the former long-term president of powerful coterie group the Carltonians, spoke to incoming club president Sayers late last week and remains steadfast in his view that the Blues’ board should be challenged.
Carlton has recently attempted to introduce a series of constitutional changes, which would see an increase in the number of signatures needed to force an EGM, something that Loccisano has been publicly critical of.
Loccisano is no longer a member of the Carltonians and the coterie’s current leadership has told The Age it does not share his view.
Despite the Blues’ on-field struggles for the past decade, the incumbent board, led by outgoing president Mark LoGiudice, has fended off consecutive challenges by ex-softball Australia chairman John Hollingsworth.
Some Carlton board members are anxious to decide who will be coaching beyond this season, with crucial list management decisions needed to be made in the coming weeks.
Reports emerged on SEN radio last week that Eddie Betts is poised to re-sign with the club for another season, while veteran midfielder Ed Curnow also appears likely to be given another season.
Top 10 pick Lochie O’Brien, who has been impressive since returning to the senior side two weeks ago, is out of contract and is yet to be offered an extension.
Since the departure of long-serving assistant John Barker, only Brent Stanton, Cameron Bruce, Dale Amos and development coaches Luke Power and Dan O’Keefe (VFL) remain on a small coaching panel.