Curiously, Carlton met St Kilda at Etihad Stadium - the opponent it confronts at that venue come Sunday - and as Eddie said: “That’s ironic and a bit freaky isn’t it.”.
Eddie was amongst the Carlton 22 who fell 10 points adrift of the Saints in that 17th round match all those years ago, on a day in which Anthony Koutoufides completed his swansong and Matthew “Skinny” Lappin turned out for his 250th career game. So not surprisingly his memories are somewhat clouded.
“I remember carrying ‘Kouta’ off and I know we couldn’t do it for ‘Skinny’,” said Eddie earlier today.
Now 165 games and eight seasons into his League tenure, Eddie was there when Pagan was told his services were no longer required, as he was in this instance when the end came for Ratten.
“Denis and Shane O’Sullivan were the ones who really gave me the opportunity at AFL level,” he said.
“‘Ratts’ really helped me with my workrate up and down the ground. Since I came in, the role has changed and a different brand of footy where I have to be up the ground a bit more then race back. I managed to adapt to the demands over time through training and I brought it into games.”
Eddie said that he also identified change in Ratten’s persona these past five years.
“Brett has himself admitted that being a passionate Carlton lover it was all about footy, footy, footy when he first started, but over the past three years he’s been fantastic in getting to know what the boys are doing outside their football lives,” he said.
Eddie was of course present in the Don Chipp Theatrette at Visy Park this morning, when the coach advised his players that Sunday’s match would be his last hurrah.
He said Ratten also took the liberty to remind the players of their finite time in the game.
“He told us not to take anything for granted. Live life now, while you can and while you’re still in the system,” Eddie said.
“He said life could chance in a blink, and he spoke about ‘Rowey’s’ (Sam Rowe’s) battle with cancer and how he overcame it. He also told the boys he didn’t want any sympathy because he was a strong person and he’ll move on from this . . . these were his messages.
“None of the players said anything. We just shook hands with him and that was it.”
Eddie was in no doubt that Ratten would fall on his feet and land a coaching role at League level. As far as he was concerned, “Ratts has developed into a real good coach, is still young, has plenty of years ahead of him and has a lot to give.”
