Bolton backing Barker for Suns coaching job

WILL influential Carlton trio John Barker, Levi Casboult and Dale Thomas be at the club next season?

Blues coach Brendon Bolton isn’t sure on each of the three — but for different reasons. He has backed Barker, his assistant and mentor, to compete for the vacant Gold Coast senior coaching position if the Suns want him.

He wants free agent Casboult to sign on to stay at the club — a prospect that looks less likely with every week.

And Thomas’s future won’t be discussed until season’s end, which could be read as an ominous sign for the decorated 30-year-old.

Speaking yesterday ahead of Carlton’s tricky trip to face West Coast tonight, Bolton said Barker had his blessing to explore the Suns job. Barker is the bookmakers’ favourite to land the position.

He coached the Blues for 14 matches in 2015 in the wake of Mick Malthouse’s tumultuous sacking before Bolton won the full-time position. Since then, Barker returned to his previous role as a Blues assistant, completing his level four coaching accreditation.

“He’s been in the system a long time and he’s been a terrific support for me and highly respected in and around our group,” Bolton said. “If there’s alignment there we wouldn’t stand in his way.”

Bolton couldn’t give guarantees on the future of Casboult, who has been linked to rivals and has reportedly turned down a contract offer from the Blues.

“We’d like to think [he’ll stay] but it’s always the unknown,” he said.

Bolton said the Blues, on a seven-game losing streak, would be out to play spoiler at Domain Stadium. “When the team is positioned where we are, we always have a purpose in trying to disturb opposition runs into finals. That’ll be part of the motivation,” he said.