In his last official day as a Carlton and club official, Brian Cook – the modern AFL’s longest serving and most successful chief executive by many measures – has offered reflections on the intriguing differences between the three powerhouse clubs he helmed: West Coast, Geelong and Carlton.

Carlton held a remarkable function in the MCC committee room to honour Cook’s career in the game, the bulk of which – more than 22 years for three premierships and a rebuilt stadium – were spent with the formerly broke Geelong, and which concluded at another strife-prone club, Carlton, where Cook handed over to Graham Wright in an orderly succession.

Cook’s most telling commentary was his explanation for Carlton’s failures.

The guest list at the Cook farewell was one that represented both the modern

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