Teague backs Blues' recruit Mitch McGovern after Crows' criticism
Carlton recruit Mitch McGovern has not taken Adelaide football director Mark Ricciuto's comments about what he was worth to the Crows to heart, according to Blues' coach David Teague.
Ricciuto caused a stir when he said McGovern had left the Crows for money claiming he accepted deal of around $800,000 a year to join Carlton and was yet to deliver.
McGovern's manager Colin Young hit back saying McGovern's departure was due to the Crows ill-conceived camp in the 2018 pre-season however Teague said none of the furore had affected the 25-year-old forward.
"He seems pretty good ... he seems pretty happy. He just wants to go out and play well, be part of the team and play his role for the side," Teague said.
David Teague in good spirits at Carlton training on Friday.Credit:Getty Images
McGovern has not fired for the Blues yet having arrived at the club out of shape and then battling a back injury throughout 2019. He managed to kick 22 goals in 16 games but his performance was below expectation.
He has kicked just two goals in two games this season and managed just 17 disposals as the Blues dropped their first two games.
Teague, who had a good relationship with McGovern when a line coach at the Crows, defended McGovern's performance, saying his experience was important. He said his first objective was to get the ball to ground if he was unable to mark inside the forward 50.
"We just want him to play his role and get his job done," Teague said.
"He is showing signs of that but he is probably a product of our side at the moment. We need to compete for four quarters, get our job done and look after our mates and right now he is one of 22 that gets the chance to do that."
Teague said he wasn't buying into Ricciuto's comments as he felt the football director was speaking to Crows fans. "He's passionate about his footy club," Teague said.
He said the slow starts were not due to the club's preparation. He said they needed to be stronger over the ball and tackle harder to ensure they competed with the Cats at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night.
"It's been a bit of a trend and is something we are aware of ... It is just going to take one quarter to start well and get us going," Teague said.
The coach said the club was right behind Eddie Betts, who was again subjected to racial abuse online this week and they would not stand for it.
"Eddie has been through this a lot unfortunately and what we have seen is how well he handles it," Teague said.