Carlton have pulled off a major coup by persuading Hawthorn's fitness and conditioning guru Andrew Russell to join the Blues.
Viewed as one of the AFL's elite fitness and conditioning bosses, Russell will run Carlton's high performance program for the 2019 season.
Andrew Russell is set for a move to the Blues.Credit:Pat Scala
Russell was contracted to Hawthorn for next year but the Hawks have agreed to allow the long-time fitness boss to move to Carlton, in what appears to be a recognition of his 14 years of distinguished service at the club.
He crossed from Port Adelaide to Hawthorn shortly after Alastair Clarkson was appointed senior coach in late 2004. The pair, who had worked together at Port, have been close allies and friends throughout Clarkson's hugely successful era at the Hawks, where he has just signed on until the end of 2022.
The recruitment of Russell is perhaps the first major move by Carlton's new football operations boss Brad Lloyd, who handled the negotiations with Russell.
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The Russell appointment is expected to be announced soon. It follows a review of Carlton's conditioning and fitness regime that saw the previous high performance boss Joel Hocking depart. The extensivereview was conducted by former Western Bulldogs football manager Graham Lowe.
Russell was head of conditioning at Hawthorn for all four premierships since 2008 and for the Power in Port's 2004 flag. He is credited with playing a key role in revitalising Shaun Burgoyne when the champion crossed from Port with a knee injury and also in managing the knee issues that had afflicted Jaeger O'Meara as he moved from Gold Coast.
Russell has a relationship with Carlton coach Brendon Bolton from their Hawthorn days, and with Bolton's lieutenants John Barker and Cam Bruce.
The Russell exit coincides with the return to Hawthorn of former club Sam Mitchell to the coaching panel, Mitchell having coached West Coast's midfield in their premiership season. Mitchell, who sought a
move back to Melbourne for family reasons, is viewed as certain to be a senior coach at a club in future.
