Members of the Carlton Blues playing list have been talking to the higher-ups to give the open coaching job with the club to David Teague.
Teague is filling in for now and the players started being more open about his getting the gig following a rare win by the Blues over the Fremantle Dockers in Round 15 of the Toyota 2019 AFL Premiership competition.
The chorus of support has grown following a better-than-anticipated result against the Dees in Round 16 and the Round 17 victory over the Swans, in Sydney, was the last, or next-to-last thing, anyone expected.
It goes contrary to logic, but the players actually like Teague and are not supporting him out of a desire to see him punished.
Perhaps the Blues players are feeling heady, as two wins in three games, even if both wins were narrow, is a realm not often frequented by the Blues.
We will go out on a limb and make this prediction.
If the Blues can win three of their remaining six, Teague will get the post and have a statue erected in his honour, if not outside Marvel or MCG, then certainly at Ikon.
Teague is just a youngster, lacking the football acumen of say, a Paul Roos, but young players often find it easier to relate to a young coach and Teague could soon find himself in a win-win position.
Improve the Blues and he looks like a prodigy. If the Blues fail to improve and Teague is sacked, he has a major bullet point on his resume that could supply other opportunities.
Some Teague proponents did not appreciate the comments of Blues’ footy director Chris Judd, who seemed ill disposed to back Teague due to Teague’s lack of experience at the senior level, but every coach the league has ever had was a first-time coach at one time.
Teague does have over a decade’s worth of experience in various coaching roles, working for four different clubs His was an abbreviated playing career of 83 games, but in a manner similar to the best broodmares not always being the best on-course performers, Teague may have learned much of value during his three seasons with Melbourne and three with the Blues.
All those losses build character, it is said.
