Triple M footy news breaker Tom Browne explained the “verbal altercation” in the Carlton rooms on Friday night that led to Craig Mathieson stepping off the Blues board.
THE VERBAL ALTERCATION THAT LED TO CARLTON BOARD CHANGE:
“Craig Mathieson, who’s a high profile director at Carlton, has stepped off the board,” Browne explained on Tom Browne’s News.
“The key reason is that Mathieson had a blue with the president of Carlton, Luke Sayers, in the change room in Sydney on Friday night.
“It was a verbal, non-physical altercation, but in the view of the president of Carlton, Luke Sayers, it wasn’t the professional standards which he expected, and Craig Mathieson has agreed to step down from the board over the weekend.
“It was only a short, verbal altercation is my understanding, but it was obviously noticed by some families of the players who were in a team meeting at the time.”
Never miss anything with the Best of Triple M Footy playlist:
Browne explained why no longer having the Mathieson name officially connected to Carlton was significant.
“A Mathieson — i.e., Bruce, and obviously Craig — has been very closely involved in the club for a long time, as have obviously the Pratts,” he said.
“It’s sort of a bit of a shifting of the guard, if you like, from a Blues board perspective.
“It’s probably now the smallest Blues board they’ve had in some time, and it sort of represents a shift towards a form of new Carlton if you like.”
Browne also outlined what he believed Craig Mathieson’s position to be.
“He [Mathieson] hasn’t commented today, but sources have suggested that he’s just had enough,” Browne said.
“It wasn’t just about Friday night, that was just the culmination of his frustration I guess, and he doesn’t think they’ve implemented some of the directives which they’ve proposed to do in recent years.
“And I think he’s not necessarily frustrated with Michael Voss, but he’s certainly frustrated with some decisions in the football department, in particular some long term contracts and those types of things.
“Having said that, Craig hasn’t spoken yet.”
MORE FROM TRIPLE M FOOTY: Daisy Thomas Takes Us Through His Five Goal Haul In His Return To Footy