“Flat out no”: Cornes and King debate Fraser credentials

Should Carlton just give Josh Fraser the head coaching role?

That’s the general narrative after the Blues pounded the Brisbane Lions by 76 points in a statement win at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

Fraser now has a 9-2 record as caretaker coach at Carlton, but is yet to officially throw himself into the process for the full-time gig.

SEN’s David King firmly believes this remarkable audition is enough to prove that Fraser is capable of doing the job.

“I don’t know what more of an audition you can do than to knock off three top 10 teams and go on a run like they have,” King said on Fireball.

“He’s shown that he’s got the locker room, he’s shown that he’s got the answers in terms of how to play and how to defend and how to pull apart the opposition. He pulled apart the Brisbane Lions.

“I’m not sure what more you need to see. What are you looking for in a coach? Open question. What do you want in a coach?”

However, Kane Cornes is adamant that Fraser is not the guy due to the fact he has been unsure if he’s ready to be a senior coach.

He worries that the “caretaker buzz” will blow up in Carlton’s face.

“I’m completely different, you have to think that your coach thinks he’s ready,” said Cornes.

“I think he has said a couple of times (that he wasn’t ready). The language has changed and that’s fine.

“He’s sort of been careful with his language, but at the start it was, ‘I’m not ready. I'm not putting my hand up’.

“I think to give him the job could age really poorly, if it doesn't go well and they come back and go, ‘Well, he told us he wasn't ready’.

“So it's just a no for me. I've seen so many clubs get caught up in the caretaker buzz, I've seen the Carlton fans chanting for Fraser, I've seen the same thing happen over and over and not often it works.”

“We want people who want the job”

Cornes referenced quotes from Chris Davies, Carlton’s GM of footy, on Fireball in late June regarding Fraser’s status.

Davies said at the time: “I don’t think it’s appropriate for this footy club to have to talk anyone into doing the job. We’re a big club in this competition.

“As I’ve heard you (Cornes) say a number of times, the person who gets this place going will be looked at by our supporters in a different way then maybe the guys in the past.

“From that standpoint we want people who want the job. Take Josh on face value right now that he doesn’t think he is the guy.

“But what I can say is he is doing a very good job.”

“A flat out no”

That prompted Cornes’ overall opinion on the topic. He refuses to be caught up in the romance of Fraser’s interim results.

“Just a flat out no for me. It's just a flat out no. You shouldn't have to talk someone into the job,” Cornes said firmly.

“Just because you've had some really good results - and credit to him for whatever he's done in this last 11 weeks - but I wouldn't be getting caught up in that.”

King came back to the evidence that Fraser has presented.

King: “I'll challenge you on that because I think it's easy to say, ‘Well, he's not going to have success’, because not many of them do.

“Not many coaches that get the job have success. It's always easy for us to pick them apart.

“Are you prepared to walk past this evidence to give it to an untried coach? A guy that's coached a forward line for two years. Essentially that's what you're doing.”

Cornes: “Yeah, well their experience is very similar to Josh’s.”

King: “No, no, he's done the job for three months.”

Cornes: “But he's done it under far less pressure than what is required when you are the actual person.”

Crumble under pressure

Despite the thumping win over the Lions, Cornes doesn’t have faith that the Blues can get it done against St Kilda in a wildcard-shaping fixture at Marvel this coming Sunday night.

He reckons the pressure will get to the group, questioning their ability to cope when it matters.

“Now this is the thing about the Carlton playing group - they love it when there's no pressure on them,” he said further.

“They love it when there's no expectation. When there's expectation and he's the man heading into a full pre-season, Round 1, there's some genuine expectation. This group crumbles.

“So I just wouldn't be getting caught up in this. They're not expected to beat Brisbane - they beat Brisbane. They're expected to start the season and push for a finals, but they crumble. One and eight. Then their coach is gone. No pressure.

“You watch them this week. There'll be pressure on them to win this week. You watch them this week against St Kilda. There's talk of wildcard, there's talk of finals, there's talk of pressure. They don't want to address that, this group.

“You watch them crumble. You watch the Blues crumble this week. And then we'll have the discussion around the coach.

“They are a group that cannot handle pressure. And I am not like everyone else that's getting sucked up into this wave of momentum for the caretaker coach, because I've seen it before. I've seen it happen before.”

Expected to throw his hat in the ring

SEN news breaker, Tom Morris, expects Fraser to officially confirm his interest in the job this week.

“My understanding is he will be in and that will happen this week,” Morris said.

“He’s just been speaking to a few people close to him. Clearly he’s had a family tragedy (with the passing of his father, Bill) - and our thoughts go out to him - but I don’t think there’s any doubt now that he will throw his hat in the ring.

“I’d be highly surprised, based on what I know, if Josh Fraser doesn’t throw his hat in the ring in the next couple of days.”