Brett Ratten has been lauded for a “fantastic” response to criticism from St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt after what was deemed an “embarrassing” sacking.
Ratten hit out at comments made by Riewoldt, who suggested standards at the club under the former Saints coach’s tenure were “sub-par”.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd and veteran AFL columnist Damian Barrett both defended Ratten’s comments.
“I thought it was a fantastic response,” Barrett said on Nine’s Footy Classified on Wednesday night.
“He was humiliated by the actions of the club (St Kilda).”
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Ratten, who is the current interim coach at North Melbourne, did not mince his words hitting back at Riewoldt, the former Saints skipper.
“I can promise you now, the standards in that joint (St Kilda) over the last however long have been sub-par,” Riewoldt said on the Footy Talk podcast.
Current St Kilda coach Ross Lyon returned to Linton Street and took over from Ratten at the start of 2023.
“They have absolutely gone forward this year,” Riewoldt said of the club’s standards under Lyon.
Ratten, who was axed by the Saints in October despite signing a two-year contract extension just months earlier, made himself heard on Wednesday.
“The only time he (Riewoldt) came was for free physio, that’s the only time he was at the club, so I don’t know where he saw those standards,” Ratten said.
“What can happen at footy clubs, and in life, is second-hand information can be distributed in the way (people) want.
“That’s his opinion, I can’t change it.”
Lloyd called out Riewoldt’s devotion to Lyon, indicating it compromised Ratten’s tenure at Moorabbin.
“There’s as tight a player-coach relationship I’ve seen, Riewoldt and Ross Lyon,” Lloyd told Footy Classified.
“Poor Brett Ratten has copped it as hard as anyone could cop on the way out. Nine months on he then cops it again from a man he was made believe was behind doing it.”
It comes as North Melbourne announced the return date of coach Alastair Clarkson on Wednesday, confirming he will take over from Ratten in Round 21.
“I knew through this period, I didn’t know when, but ‘Clarko’ was coming back,” Ratten said.
“I knew it was going to come to an end and now it’s a couple of weeks away.
But the interim coach has taken a positive spin on his short tenure, saying the clarity from North Melbourne makes his exit easier.
“I didn’t get the chance last time to say goodbye (at St Kilda) and this is a good opportunity to just enjoy the last couple of weeks,” he said.
North Melbourne face Ratten’s old side St Kilda on Sunday at Marvel Stadium.
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