Former Carlton hard nut Mitch Robinson has pinpointed the moment when his love for the Blues “deteriorated”.
The Brisbane Lions favourite said it was the sacking of Brett Ratten in 2012 which really hurt during his time as a Blue where he played 100 games between 2009 and 2014.
Ahead of his 200th AFL game tonight, Robinson reflected on his time at Princes Park in an interview with the Herald Sun, saying it was the ‘unfair’ departure of Ratten and the arrival of Mick Malthouse which “ruined” Carlton at the time.
“I wish I could go back in time and understand how good ‘Ratts’ was,” Robinson said of the now St Kilda coach.
“Him being cut by the club ruined the Carlton footy club at the time and you can write that as much as you like. He was so good to us.
“He probably could’ve delegated a little bit more, but his footy brain was one of the smartest I’ve seen from any coach.
“The only thing he struggled with was the relationship side in terms of getting to know you and what makes you tick. He loved footy and always talked about footy.
“He was unfairly sacked. When he left, my love for the club deteriorated and when Malthouse came in I just hated playing.”
Robinson would play two years under Malthouse before moving to Brisbane where he has become one of the club’s most important players in his six years and 99 games there.
The second-placed Lions will be hoping to celebrate Robinson’s milestone match with a win over Essendon at Metricon Stadium as they look for their seventh victory of the season.