Departing Carlton defender Jeremy Laidler says Mick Malthouse just didn’t want to pick him, in sharp contrast to the strong support he received from former Blues’ coach Brett Ratten.
Laidler played only one AFL game for the Blues under Malthouse in 2013 for a career total of 26 matches, prompting him to look for a new club next year.
Ratten regarded Laidler as a general of the backline.
“Ratts was a strong believer in me and gave me the confidence to express myself to the group,” the 24-year-old Laidler said on Friday.
“But when Mick didn’t want to pick me, my confidence went down and it became harder to express myself.
“It’s hard to comprehend how things have gone this year.”
Laidler has requested a trade and says he’s encouraged by the interest of several rival clubs.
After playing four senior games in an injury-interrupted 2012, the arrival of Malthouse meant a massive upheaval for Laidler.
Picked for Carlton’s round-two clash against Collingwood, Laidler had only four disposals before being subbed off and was told to go back to the VFL and turn himself into a forward.
“That was a bit of a shock,” Laidler told afl.com.au.
“It just wasn’t the ideal situation to have at the start of a season because then I had to basically go back to square one and get my head around something different.”
Laidler said he played about seven games in attack for VFL side Northern Blues.
“I went and spoke to Mick and said, ‘I just don’t see myself getting a game at this football club as a forward. Can I go back to playing down back and try to prove myself there again?'” Laidler said.
“From there, I had a few good performances.
“I see myself mainly as a backman.
“Mick had a different game plan and different theories, and he wanted a bit more run off half-back.
“He felt that with ‘Simmo’ (Kade Simpson) and ‘Walks’ (Andrew Walker) going back there, they got a few more possessions than me, and they were a different type of player to me.
“It was quite frustrating not getting a gig and seeing other blokes playing in front of you.”