Carlton manager Michael Voss has spoken out against the treatment given to Ben Rutten following the lengthy firing of the Bombers mentor from Essendon.
Rutten was officially sacked from the Essendon board on Sunday after the Bombers’ last home and away game against Richmond.
The 39-year-old’s fate was effectively sealed last Monday when David Barham ousted Paul Brasher from office as club president and Essendon bravely and unsuccessfully tried to lure four-time Premiership manager Alastair Clarkson.
Essendon approached Clarkson without telling Rutten, leading Monday to news that he had already been fired.
Rutten fulfilled his desire to coach the Bombers against Richmond on Saturday night, but later said he was disappointed and believed he deserved better from the club.
Voss said he felt for Rutten, just 30 minutes after Carlton’s season ended abruptly with a one-point defeat to rivals Collingwood at the MCG.
The Blues coach knows the pain of being sacked, after being sacked at the end of 2013 by the Brisbane Lions, a club he has directed three times.
“Having trained in that situation, it’s extremely difficult,” Voss said.
“It even made the way it was handled more difficult.
“I don’t think this is our goal as an industry.
“I join this growing chorus of disappointment with how it went and the fact that we have to introduce someone like this to be able to fight for their last game.
“I think we’re much better than that and we all have a role to play in that.”
Rutten left after coaching the Bombers to 17 wins and 26 losses in two seasons, including taking them to the finals in his first season in 2021.
Essendon has been hungry for success for the past two decades and hasn’t won a final since 2004.
Barham, in front of the media on Sunday, cited this year’s “uncompetitive” performance as a key reason to terminate Rutten’s contract a year early.