http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52770
FORMER Carlton coach Denis Pagan says revelations by star player Anthony Koutoufides that he was part of a group which lobbied to have him sacked were not new to him.
But Pagan said he was disappointed by Koutoufides' criticisms of his handling of players and of his game plan.
Koutoufides, the Blues skipper from 2004-06 who retired midway through this season after 278 AFL matches, has unleashed a barrage of criticism on Pagan in his new biography Kouta.
In extracts in Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper, Koutoufides said Pagan, who was sacked after a huge loss to Brisbane in round 16 this year, was unfair on players and had an outdated game plan, which the players did not believe in.
He said he and fellow senior players Lance Whitnall, Matthew Lappin and Nick Stevens met with club officials to try to have Pagan sacked last year.
Pagan said he knew of the move, but chose to ignore it in an effort to keep things "positive".
"I was aware of that. I just continued to control what I did," Pagan told Melbourne's SEN radio.
He said it would not have helped confronting Koutoufides, who he said never personally approached him to outline his criticisms.
"I thought it's not going to serve any purpose, let's be positive, let's go forward," he said.
"That's probably the disappointing thing, how positive I was with the group and to be criticised like that."
Pagan said he believed he had been hard but fair with his players and that he was "probably one of Anthony's greatest supporters".
He also suggested Koutoufides' criticism that his long-kicking game plan was outdated was shown to be unfounded when Geelong won this year's premiership, with the Cats and preliminary finalists Collingwood and the Kangaroos the longest kicking teams in the competition.
"Talk about long kicking, well, we tried a lot of things," Pagan said.
"It was (no) coincidence that three of the top four sides who finished this year on the ladder were one, three and two in long kicks.
"I don't know what he's crook on that about."
Pagan said criticism was inevitable given he led the club to wooden spoons in 2005 and 2006 and they came 15th this year.
But he said the Blues were now in good shape, with a lot of good young players and the addition of ex-West Coast star Chris Judd.
"All these young boys, the previous coaching panel have had a lot to do with their development," he said.
"Now it's at a stage where you put the cream on top and I'm sure Carlton will go forward in leaps and bounds."
FORMER Carlton coach Denis Pagan says revelations by star player Anthony Koutoufides that he was part of a group which lobbied to have him sacked were not new to him.
But Pagan said he was disappointed by Koutoufides' criticisms of his handling of players and of his game plan.
Koutoufides, the Blues skipper from 2004-06 who retired midway through this season after 278 AFL matches, has unleashed a barrage of criticism on Pagan in his new biography Kouta.
In extracts in Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper, Koutoufides said Pagan, who was sacked after a huge loss to Brisbane in round 16 this year, was unfair on players and had an outdated game plan, which the players did not believe in.
He said he and fellow senior players Lance Whitnall, Matthew Lappin and Nick Stevens met with club officials to try to have Pagan sacked last year.
Pagan said he knew of the move, but chose to ignore it in an effort to keep things "positive".
"I was aware of that. I just continued to control what I did," Pagan told Melbourne's SEN radio.
He said it would not have helped confronting Koutoufides, who he said never personally approached him to outline his criticisms.
"I thought it's not going to serve any purpose, let's be positive, let's go forward," he said.
"That's probably the disappointing thing, how positive I was with the group and to be criticised like that."
Pagan said he believed he had been hard but fair with his players and that he was "probably one of Anthony's greatest supporters".
He also suggested Koutoufides' criticism that his long-kicking game plan was outdated was shown to be unfounded when Geelong won this year's premiership, with the Cats and preliminary finalists Collingwood and the Kangaroos the longest kicking teams in the competition.
"Talk about long kicking, well, we tried a lot of things," Pagan said.
"It was (no) coincidence that three of the top four sides who finished this year on the ladder were one, three and two in long kicks.
"I don't know what he's crook on that about."
Pagan said criticism was inevitable given he led the club to wooden spoons in 2005 and 2006 and they came 15th this year.
But he said the Blues were now in good shape, with a lot of good young players and the addition of ex-West Coast star Chris Judd.
"All these young boys, the previous coaching panel have had a lot to do with their development," he said.
"Now it's at a stage where you put the cream on top and I'm sure Carlton will go forward in leaps and bounds."
that sounds so good
