Former St Kilda coaching consultant and A-League coach Ernie Merrick has slammed the Saints’ sacking of coach Brett Ratten, calling it “demeaning” and “disgraceful.”
Merrick, who joined the Saints early this year in a part-time capacity, was critical of the club’s top brass over a decision that “was already made” when he offered a counterargument to the move to sack Ratten.
When confirming his decision to move on Ratten last Friday, president Andrew Bassat conceded the decision to re-sign him to a two-year contract extension mid-year was a mistake.
Two-time A-League championship-winning coach Merrick spoke to radio SEN on Thursday about the controversial decision made by the Saints, who prematurely ended Ratten’s coaching tenure despite having already renewed it for two more years in July.
“It’s quite disgraceful, really, It’s demeaning. The whole behaviour and the way things were handled and who handled them is really very disappointing,” Merrick said.
Ernie Merrick with Brett Ratten in February.Credit:AFL Photos / Getty Images
Merrick, who spent three days a week working alongside Ratten, praised the former coach as “one of the best” coaches he’s worked with. Merrick was appointed as the chief football officer at Football Australia in August.
“I observed a very, very good coach who had excellent relationship skills, who led through gaining respect through his leadership and his personality without installing fear of failure and fear through being an authoritarian,” said Merrick.
Merrick took specific aim at St Kilda’s board for the timing of the Ratten decision.
“It’s one of the worst [sackings] I’ve seen,” said Merrick, who first coached Melbourne Victory in 2005.
“I was shocked because … his new contract had been saved roughly three months earlier. The chairman spoke very highly of them and that all changes in half a season.”
Merrick said he spoke to St Kilda CEO Simon Lethlean and Bassat two days before the news of Ratten’s departure was announced.
“I am afraid with Andrew Bassat, I felt as though the decision was already made. I was so disappointed in whatever argument was presented to me for removing the coach [Brett Ratten] I countered,” said Merrick.
Pointing to the Saints’ obstacles like player injuries and board failures in securing better talent, Merrick said the club should have given Ratten more time. He made comparisons with the situations at Geelong and Richmond, two clubs which showed patience with Mark Thompson and Damien Hardwick, who both eventually led the clubs to premierships.
“Consider Bomber Thompson’s in his first four years, 12 wins, nine wins, 11 wins, seven wins in his fourth season. By the eighth season he’s won a grand final and in he won again in the 10th season. Damien Hardwick is a very similar story, six, eight and 10 wins in his first three seasons at the club and then he went on to 2017, 2019 and [2020] grand finals successes,” Merrick said.
“The difference is Geelong had Frank Costa in support of Bomber Thompson and Richmond had Peggy O’Neal in support of Damien Hardwick and, to me, the board has got a lot to answer for at St Kilda.”
Of Ratten’s future, Merrick said: “He would be an excellent pick-up for a team that wants success and wants to have a coach in place.”
In response to whether former St Kilda coach Ross Lyon gets the job and gives the Saints much needed stability, Merrick was sceptical.
“In my opinion, St Kilda isn’t going to have success until they stabilise the whole club from top to bottom. And, to me, they were stable and they’ve stuffed that around, and I don’t know what will happen,” he said.
“I know that Ross Lyon is a very good coach. But I’m not sure that the change is going to make the difference. It’s really the stability and the recruitment of high-quality players and sticking with the same coach for a period of time who shows and improves what he can do like Brett. I’ve certainly got nothing bad to say about Ross.”
With Scott Spits
