Veteran footy journalist Caroline Wilson and Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd have vastly different takes on Carlton’s decision to delay their call on coach David Teague’s future.
While Carlton were expected to clarify Teague‘s future yesterday, on the back of the external review into the football department, president Luke Sayers instead sent a letter to Blues members saying the club would “take the necessary time required to absorb this review”.
Wilson and Lloyd both believe Carlton have postponed their call on Teague because they’re awaiting an answer from former Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson, who led the Hawks for the final time on Saturday.
But while Wilson thinks Teague should have been “put out of his misery” yesterday, Lloyd suggested the Blues’ decision to postpone their call could point to the club considering retaining the under-fire coach.
“What happens now is just extraordinary for David Teague,” Wilson said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
“Do they think they would keep David Teague if Alastair said ‘no’? I don’t believe so. So why not just give [Teague] the news and give it to him today?”
Lloyd argued back.
“I just wonder whether the unlikely could happen, Caro: that if Alastair Clarkson decides not to coach at Carlton or coach anywhere next year that David could keep his job,” Lloyd said.
“It was unfathomable to think of that 24 hours ago, but with this extending out [of] the news – it could be another week – there could be life there for David Teague to continue on at Carlton.”
Wilson found Lloyd’s view incomprehensible.
“I find that really hard to believe,” Wilson said.
“I can’t see it happening.”
Footy Classified host Craig Hutchison put a hypothetical to Wilson, suggesting Carlton would be in a precarious situation if they sacked Teague and then learned that Clarkson wasn’t willing to take over until a year down the track.
That prompted Port Adelaide icon Kane Cornes to pitch in.
“Well then you’re better off keeping David Teague, aren’t you, Hutchy?” Cornes said.
“You wouldn’t go for a new coach for another year. You’d just let David Teague see out his contract, wouldn’t you?”
But Wilson doesn’t see how Teague can recover from Saturday’s press conference after the GWS clash, in which he took several digs at Carlton.
While he said young guns Jacob Weitering, Sam Walsh and Harry McKay “own this footy club”, he stopped short of listing co-captains Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty.
“It was pretty galling … to say that these guys own the club, they’re the future of the club, no mention of Cripps or Docherty. I mean, again, I can’t see [Teague] coming back from that.”
