Carlton coach Brendon Bolton has unveiled his new coaching team, along with a restructure of the Club’s fitness department.

Over the past month, Bolton has been working closely with Head of Football Andrew McKay and Carlton triple premiership player Ken Sheldon, to get the best possible coaching personnel in place and after a rigorous interview process four new appointments have been made.

Former Adelaide coach Neil Craig has been appointed as the new Director of Coaching, Development and Performance. Craig, a veteran of 319 SANFL games, was the Crows’ fitness adviser through the premierships of 1997 and ’98. He was later appointed Adelaide’s senior coach taking the Crows to the minor premiership in 2005 and five consecutive finals series. Most recently Craig has been the General Manager of Performance at Essendon.

Carlton’s caretaker coach for 2015, John Barker, will remain at the Blues and will take on the new role of stoppages coach. He will be joined in the assistant coaching ranks by three coaches who are new to Carlton: Tim Clarke, Shane Watson and Dale Amos.

Tim Clarke, a veteran of 96 AFL games for the Hawks from 2001-08, was most recently Richmond’s VFL coach. He will work with the Blues’ midfield.

Shane Watson comes to Carlton from North Melbourne where he has been an assistant coach since 2010. Watson will work with Carlton’s forward line.

Dale Amos has worked with Geelong since 2009, spending three seasons as the Cats’ VFL coach before joining the AFL coaching ranks. He will take on the role of backline coach.

Meanwhile, Mathew Capuano will remain at Carlton as a development coach and continue his work with the Blues’ academy.

Bolton says he’s eager to get to work with his new team.

“I am absolutely delighted with the talent we have been able to secure – they’re all people with the right experience and right attitude to help educate and develop our players,” Bolton said.

“One of the key attributes shared by those coming on board is their holistic approach to people and player development, while all have coached their own team.

“It’s a young coaching team, being well complemented with the experience and counsel of Neil, and it’s a team who I am confident will grow with our playing list and eventually lead this football club to where we all want it to be.”

In addition to the changes to Carlton’s coaching panel, the Club’s fitness area has been restructured and will now report to Head of Football Andrew McKay. Joel Hocking has been appointed as Physical Performance Manager, while Mark Homewood the Medical Coordinator.

The senior coaching position for Carlton’s VFL affiliate, the Northern Blues, will be finalised in the coming weeks

Out-of-contract assistant coach Brad Green, along with development coaches Michael Osborne and Luke Webster, will depart Carlton. Head of Football Andrew McKay has thanked them for their service.

“Brad, Luke and Michael have all made a terrific contribution to our football club through their work to help develop our young players,” McKay said.

“All three men should be commended for the enthusiasm and professionalism with which they have lived our club values, and in doing so they have helped us develop the foundations for future success. I wish them all the very best for the future.”

CARLTON'S 2016 COACHING PANEL:

HEAD OF FOOTBALL - Andrew McKay

Andrew McKay is a veteran of 244 Carlton games, and now heads up the Club’s football department.

McKay played for the Blues between 1993 and 2003, including in the 1995 premiership side. He is a four time All-Australian, and won Carlton’s Best & Fairest in 2003.

McKay’s impressive record includes being inducted into Carlton’s Hall of Fame in 2001, and the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

After retiring from football McKay practiced as a veterinarian, and has served on the AFL’s Match Review Panel and the Laws of the Game Committee.

SENIOR COACH - Brendon Bolton

Originally from Tasmania, Brendon 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. Stints at the Tassie Devils and Clarence followed, before Bolton took over as the head coach of the Box Hill Hawks, guiding the team to consecutive finals series in his two seasons in charge.

Bolton comes to Carlton with an impressive resume, which includes seven years as an assistant coach at Hawthorn. After joining the Hawks from the club’s VFL affiliate in 2009, Bolton initially worked with the midfield before becoming the forward line coach. In 2014 he coached the Hawks for five senior matches between rounds 11 and 15, achieving a perfect record by winning each game.

DIRECTOR OF COACHING, DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE - Neil Craig

Neil Craig brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to Carlton.

A veteran of 319 SANFL games, Craig was the Crows’ fitness adviser through the premierships of 1997 and ’98. He was later appointed Adelaide’s senior coach taking the Crows to the minor premiership in 2005 and five consecutive finals series. Most recently Craig has been the General Manager of Performance at Essendon.

ASSISTANT COACH (STOPPAGES) - John Barker

After taking the reins as interim coach in 2015, John Barker's "team first, club first" approach earned high praise from all within the Blues ranks. The Club is pleased that 'JB' will remain at Carlton, taking on the new role of stoppages coach.

Since joining Carlton as an assistant coach in 2011, Barker has held a variety of positions including backline coach and forward coach. He previously held assistance coaching positions at Hawthorn and St Kilda.

Barker also has an impressive record as a player, running out in 167 games for Fitzroy/Brisbane and Hawthorn from 1994-2006. He was Hawthorn’s leading goal-kicker in 2001.

ASSISTANT COACH (MIDFIELD) - Tim Clarke

Tim Clarke spent two years as a development coach at Richmond between 2010 and 2011. After a year overseas he returned to the Tigers in another development role, then in 2014 when Richmond entered it’s first stand-alone VFL side, Clarke was appointed its inaugural coach.

As well as his proven coaching ability, Clarke played the game at the highest level, running out 96 times for Hawthorn between 2001 and 2008.

ASSISTANT COACH (FORWARD LINE) - Shane Watson

Shane Watson comes to Carlton from North Melbourne where he has been an assistant coach since 2010, working with both forwards and the backline.

Watson began his coaching career as the head coach for Lower Plenty in the Diamond Valley Football League in 2005. A season there led into an assistant coaching role at the Sandringham Dragons in 2006, before three years as the senior coach at the Eastern Ranges.

As a player, Watson ran out 141 times for Collingwood.

ASSISTANT COACH (BACKLINE) - Dale Amos

Dale Amos comes to Carlton from Geelong where he has worked since 2009, spending three seasons as the Cats’ VFL coach before joining the AFL coaching ranks. His impressive coaching record includes leading South Barwon to a hat-trick of Geelong Football League premierships (2005-2007) and he was named GFL coach of the year in 2006.

Meanwhile Amos was also a champion player for South Barwon, where he was a dual best and fairest winner and played more than 200 games including in three premierships (2001, 2005, 2007).

DEVELOPMENT COACH - Mathew Capuano

Mathew Capuano played in two premierships during his 107-game AFL career with North Melbourne and St Kilda.

2016 will be his eighth season at Carlton and he will once again combine his Development Coach duties with the specialist ruck coach role.