“When Brendon talks the boys definitely listen,” according to former Hawthorn player, Rick Ladson.
On Tuesday morning Hawks assistant coach Brendon Bolton was named as the new senior coach of the Carlton Football Club.
Ladson played 125 games for Hawthorn between 2003 and 2011, including their 2008 premiership win, and overlapped two years when Bolton was their assistant coach.
Speaking to SEN on Tuesday morning, Ladson said Bolton will “have no issue making his stamp on the group”.
“He’s just got a character about him which makes you want to listen to what he has to say…he won’t have any problems getting his message across that’s for sure,” Ladson said.
Originally from Tasmania, Bolton is a former high school physical education teacher. He won a premiership as a captain-coach with North Hobart in 2003 and in the same year also won the league’s Horrie Gorringe Medal as the best and fairest footballer in Tasmania.
Before joining Hawthorn as an assistant coach in 2009, Bolton coached their VFL affiliate team, the Box Hill Hawks.
“He’s just so passionate about the game.
“He’s got a really good work ethic in terms of making sure the whole list is treated the same, and they’re working on areas of their game that they need to improve to help the side,” Ladson said.
Although Bolton hasn’t played football at the highest level, the retired Hawk doesn’t believe this will hinder his ability to be an exceptional senior coach, telling SEN “the proof is in the pudding”.
“They (Carlton) think highly of him, so regardless of whether he’s played an AFL game or not, I think the proof is in the pudding, in terms of what he’s been able to do at Box Hill and at the senior level with the Hawthorn team.”
When Alastair Clarkson was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome in 2014, Bolton stepped in as senior coach, allowing the football community a glimpse of his smiley and bubbly personality.
Although that contagious smile spreads from ear to ear, Ladson says Bolton is not immune to hurling out a massive spray.
“I haven’t been on the end of one, thankfully,” Ladson laughed.
“There’s no doubt he would have learnt a couple of sprays off Clarko as well…he’s definitely able to let fly when he needs to,” Ladson said.
