THE Carlton Football Club is delighted to announce former player and experienced assistant Jordan Russell has joined the football club.

Russell returns to IKON Park with a decade of coaching experience to his name, at both the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne.

The move comes as the Club boosts its coaching group with additional support heading into the 2024 AFL season.

Russell will take the reins of the Blues’ forward line, allowing Ashley Hansen to fully focus on his duties as Senior Assistant under AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss.

The additional support will allow Hansen the capacity to manage the coaches' box on game day, in close consultation with the Senior Coach on the interchange bench, whilst also sharpening focus on the team’s offence.

Russell’s appointment sees him reunited with Hansen, after the pair led Footscray to the VFL premiership as captain and coach respectively, back in 2016.

Aaron Hamill and Tim Clarke will remain in their roles as backline and midfield coaches respectively, as will Luke Power as VFL coach, strongly supported by Tom Lonergan, Brad Ebert and Torin Baker in the development program. Aaron Greaves will provide oversight of the development program as Head of Coaching and Performance.

Pick No.9 in the 2004 draft, Russell played 116 games for Carlton (2005-2012), coming second in the John Nicholls Medal in 2010 and was appointed to the leadership group in 2011. 

After finishing his playing career for a season at Collingwood, he joined Footscray in 2014 as a VFL-listed player and AFL developmental coach, captaining the side that season to the first of two premierships.

Russell retired from playing at the end of 2017, transitioning fully into a coaching role with the Bulldogs, initially as a development coach before taking charge of the midfield and transition in 2020.

After six years at the Western Bulldogs, including the 2016 AFL Premiership as a development coach, Russell moved to North Melbourne, where he has spent the last three seasons as midfield and stoppage coach.

The 36-year-old brings with him 10 years of coaching experience, including a level 3 coaching accreditation, along with a Graduate Certificate of Sports Coaching from the University of Queensland.

Russell said he is excited to be returning to Carlton in a coaching capacity.  

“Some of my best football memories are with the Carlton Football Club, so it is very exciting to be coming back to IKON Park,” Russell said.

“I am impressed with the direction the football club is taking, and what it is trying to build – one thing that came through clearly during the process was how aligned the Club is on its direction and what is required to put itself in the best possible position to succeed.

“It is a coaching group with a lot of experience, led by Michael Voss and I already have a great relationship with Ash, so the opportunity to bring my strengths to what the program already has, to help us go to another level, is really exciting.”

General Manager of Football Brad Lloyd said Russell will be a real asset to the football club, while the new structure provides greater support across the entire coaching group.

“As a Club, we are always looking at ways we can evolve and strengthen our football department and we recognised an opportunity to add to our coaching group by bringing in Jordan’s skillset and his 10 years of experience,” Lloyd said.

“Jordan already has an extensive, successful working-relationship with Ash so that transition with the forward group will be seamless and we are really looking forward to seeing Ash continue to flourish in his increased capacity as Senior Assistant.

“We were really pleased with how our coaching group was able to work so cohesively last season and by now strengthening and streamlining roles across the group, we know we are set up to provide the AFL playing group with every opportunity to get the best out of themselves in 2024.

“We are excited to welcome Jordan back to Carlton and he will get to work immediately with our coaching group to shape our pre-season program.”

Carlton 2024 coaching group

AFL Senior Coach: Michael Voss

Senior assistant coach: Ash Hansen

Head of Coaching and Performance: Aaron Greaves

Forward line coach: Jordan Russell

Backline coach: Aaron Hamill

Midfield coach: Tim Clarke

Ruck coach: Matthew Kreuzer

VFL Coach: Luke Power

Development Program Manager: Brad Ebert

Development and Talent Manager: Tom Lonergan

Development coach: Torin Baker