Ratten joined the Club last Friday, just a day after former assistant Leon Cameron was appointed Kevin Sheedy’s successor at Greater Western Sydney.
The former Blue could have taken up opportunities at a number of other clubs, but believes the opportunity to work with and learn from Alastair Clarkson was the best fit.
He was complimentary of his new chief and his standing in the game.
“I maybe had those opportunities but at the end of the day I wanted to make sure everything was right,” Ratten told hawthornfc.com.au
“When I sat down and had a look at what was available and the opportunities in front of me, Hawthorn was a really good fit for me.
“Working under Alastair was something that really attracted me to Hawthorn. What he’s done in the game, it’s his seventh or eighth year and he’s changed the game in so many ways in regards to creating different thing in the game, different trends.
“From outside looking inside it has been something I’ve thought, ‘he’s such a clever coach’ and what he’s done, I’ve really admired that.”
Part of the attraction too, was the talent on the Hawks’ list, a team he struggled to defeat in his time as a senior coach.
In his five and a half season as coach of Carlton, the new Hawks assistant never tasted victory against the brown and gold.
Ratten admitted coaching against Hawthorn was one of the hardest tasks in football.
“I don’t think I’ve ever beaten Hawthorn as a coach myself, I think a NAB Cup game against them but that doesn’t even count,” he joked.
“We’ve always tried to work Hawthorn out, I think we worked them out but then stopping them (is another issue).
“If you can stop Buddy sometimes that helps, but then you’ve got Mitchell and those guys (to stop).
“From my point of view, I think that’s been the hardest thing to do as an opposition coach against Hawthorn.”
Now, he can’t wait to get stuck into his new role as the Hawks’ stoppage coach.
He sees his role as bringing an external perspective on the Hawthorn game style, as well as innovations and experiences from his time at other clubs.
“In my time as a coach people that come from outside give you different perspective on things and different opportunities to change and adjust your style of play or some of the tactics you do in the game,” he said.
“I think that’s what I’ll bring, I’ll just throw it out there, Al will pick through what he thinks is good and how it works in with the group here and the playing group here.
“I think that’ll be something that we’ll go through and I’ll throw some different ideas up.”
But for now, he’s just excited to be a Hawk and is thankful for the response he’s received since arriving at the Club.
“I’m just really fortunate to be here at Hawthorn,” he said.
“I’ve been really surprised at the amount of players that have texted and other people and staff as well.
“That’s really nice, it’s a show of support and unity and that’s probably why it is the family club because of that. That’s something that I’ve thought, ‘geez they do that really well’.”
Kate Salemme is a member of Hawthorn Football Club's Digital Media team reportining exclusively for hawthornfc.com.au from the Ricoh Centre.
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