Blues president leads search for new coach

CARLTON president Mark LoGiudice has elevated himself onto the Blues coaching sub committee so he can take ownership of the club’s search for its next senior coach.

Blues chief executive Cain Liddle fiercely defended the performance of the Carlton board and president on the weekend, adamant it had bullet-proofed the club financially.

He revealed the club was keen to add to its “performance and leadership space” as leadership mentors like Nick Maxwell and Billy Slater have strong impacts at other clubs.

The Herald Sun understands Blues fitness boss Andrew Russell will now take control of the club’s physical and mental high performance as well as leadership.

The club’s former head of elite performance Anthony Klarica left the club a month ago, with the Blues content to have that important area of performance managed inhouse.

The man instrumental in four premierships at Hawthorn will bring in any external leadership consultants as he sees fit.

Liddle again refused to guarantee list manager Steve Silvagni would remain at the club next year, saying the Blues would review all areas of their business.

LoGiudice was on the Carlton board when Brett Ratten was sacked and president when Mick Malthouse and Brendon Bolton were marched out the door by the Blues.

LoGiudice is now determined to officially join the search for a new coach so he can have some skin in the game, according to Liddle.

“Mark hasn’t been actively involved in the appointment of any of those coaches and I can’t speak for him because I wasn’t here but obviously the president has a final sign off,” Liddle said.

“He wants to be more involved in this process because it’s probably the most important signing this club will make over the next ten years. We are very lucky to have Chris Judd and David Campbell and Brad Lloyd and in the event we need external expertise we can go and get that and source it in.”

Liddle said without the changes made by the Blues board they would again have to cut their financial budget in a year where Carlton has won only two games.

“Let it be clear, I have complete confidence in Mark. If you look at what Mark and his board have been able to do, we are in the best shape we have been in for a long time off-field,” he told 3AW.

“We are now in a position where irrespective of what has gone on on the field, we can continue to invest in our football program.”