TEAGUE INSTILS BELIEF: MURPHY
CARLTON veteran Marc Murphy says interim coach David Teague has inspired belief in his players and is well-placed to secure the full-time job.
Saturday’s victory over Gold Coast improved the Blues’ record under Teague to four wins and two losses, with both defeats coming by less than a goal. His predecessor Brendon Bolton coached the Blues to just one win from 11 games this season before being sacked.
Having witnessed plenty of hard times in his 14 seasons at the club, former skipper Murphy believes the coaching change has produced genuine momentum and left Teague as the deserved favourite to continue in the role.
“If we keep on winning obviously that will be the case,” Murphy said yesterday. “Time will tell. Obviously the club will go through a process at the end of the season.
“The belief’s really growing around the place. Playing out there on the weekend it was really loud, heaps of Carlton supporters there.
“I think our fans are really enjoying what they’re seeing at the moment.”
Teague’s chances appeared to take a hit when football director Chris Judd declared the Blues wanted an experienced coach and not “someone with training wheels on”, although he later backtracked on those comments.
Meanwhile, the Blues have put Charlie Curnow into mothballs for the rest of 2019. Curnow had a setback to the knee injury he sustained in the round 15 win over Fremantle.
“Since last week ... he’s had increased pain and awareness in his knee,’’ Blues fitness boss Andrew Russell said. “This is to do with the bone bruising in his knee.
“... we’ve decided to actually take Charlie out for the whole season and make sure that he’s 100 per cent fit for the start of pre-season training.”