Bolton singing Blues following latest loss

CARLTON has been a graveyard for AFL coaches of late.

The Blues have brought the curtain down on some of the best.

Think Denis Pagan in 2007, Mick Malthouse in 2015.

Then throw in Wayne Brittain (2002) and even a former captain and great Brett Ratten (2015).

Is Brendon Bolton to be next to feel the dreaded Carlton axe?

Or will the Blues change their ways and keep faith in a young coach – still shy of his 40th birthday would you believe – and a young list that has at the very least some superstars in the making.

Having overseen the club’s worst start to an AFL season (0-6), Bolton is under the pump.

Adelaide in Adelaide awaits next week, then Essendon, Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney.

Bolton hopes for at least a couple of wins at the halfway mark. Seems unlikely.

It has so far left the once smiling, jovial Bolton completely at a loss – 37 of them in total from 50 games in charge, and a dismal 26 per cent winning strike rate getting worse by the week.

Former Port Adelaide onballer Kane Cornes was blunt yesterday when he said “not many coaches survive that record”. Guy McKenna, for instance, lasted 88 games at the Gold Coast for 24 wins (and a winning percentage of 27.3).

Matthew Primus was in charge at Port Adelaide for 47 games and 13 wins (27.6%), Justin Leppitsch for 66 games at Brisbane for 14 wins (21.2%) and Brendan McCarthy 66 games at the Bulldogs for 20 wins (30.3%).

Of the aforementioned former Blues coaches, Brittain (39.1%), Pagan (24.0%), Malthouse (37.0%) and Ratten (50%) had various degrees of success before getting the chop.

Ratts is now thriving as an assistant to Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn.

Once seen as a beacon of hope for a club continuously on its knees, Bolton looked a forlorn figure after the latest defeat to the Bulldogs on Friday night.

Four tackles laid in the forward 50m was diabolical and most glaring inadequacy.

He was desperately trying explain the club’s situation, perhaps even more desperate to avoid a noose being wrapped around his neck.

He’s not on any contract, but would be paid out for this year.

“It hurts. Players hurt. Coaches hurt. Supporters hurt,” he said.

“We know that this (0-6) hasn’t happened in the club’s history, but I suppose it’s the first time in the club’s history that it’s focused on a fullblown rebuild.”

Was he was talking to the media and therefore the club’s fans, or to the Blues board?

“Here’s some simple facts for you. Three years ago, when we started the rebuild, we were averaging about four guys from 18-21 years of age. In the second year of this rebuild, it jumped to six. This year, it’s around nine or 10 guys.”

It’s true. Carlton also had 10 players on Friday night who had played fewer than 50 games.

Unfortunately for Bolton and Blues, so did the Western Bulldogs.