New Carlton president Luke Sayers has responded to Leigh Matthews’ scathing criticism of the club’s board over their handling of outgoing coach David Teague.
AFL legend Matthews told Sportsday on Tuesday: “I must say from the outside, whoever is running that football club has got no idea how to run a football club.
“I reckon the people at the top of that football club are the problem.”
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Sayers has a “very different counterview” to Matthews’ opinion and explained the process leading up to Teague’s sacking.
“I respect that it’s an opinion game. Leigh is a legend of the game, and we appreciate his comments,” Sayers said.
“I have a very different counterview to that.
“We had a process, we laid out the process, we engaged with the football department through that period, there was lots of work done behind the scenes coming to the conclusion of a report which came to the board a week or two ago.
“There was then a conversation with David Teague about when was the right time to engage around the workings of the review, and it was David’s preference to wait until the end of the season, and then to get into a conversation and discussion about what’s come out of the review – good, bad and indifferent – and as such we respected David’s perspective from that regard.
“We had the conversations on Monday, we had a couple of days on reflection and then we’ve made that decision (to part ways with Teague) today.”
Sayers said there will be no further staff departures after assistant coaches Dale Amos and Brent Stanton joined Teague through the exit door at Ikon Park.
Blues CEO Cain Liddle and Head of Football Brad Lloyd will remain in their respective roles.