The intense pressure on Carlton’s Brett Ratten continues to grow, with Mick Malthouse saying a return to AFL coaching will either happen next year or never again.

Ratten is likely to learn his fate next week, with Blues president Stephen Kernahan repeating the club’s intention to wait until the season is over before reviewing their operations.

As Kernahan ruefully noted on Monday, the only difference now is the Blues know when their season ends.

Carlton’s finals chances ended with the shock Saturday night loss to Gold Coast, leaving them with the round 23 dead rubber on Sunday against St Kilda.

The Gold Coast debacle came just a week after Ratten’s stocks soared with the 96-point smashing of arch-rivals Essendon.

Kernahan also savaged the Carlton players in an interview on the club website, saying they looked as though they were on holiday early in the Suns match.

The speculation for several months has been that if Ratten goes, Malthouse is most likely to take over.

Ratten has a year to run on his contract, while Malthouse is now one of the game’s highest-profile commentators.

Malthouse, a three-time premiership coach, decided to leave Collingwood at the end of last season once he handed over to Nathan Buckley.

After saying on Sunday he still felt like he had the energy to be a senior AFL coach, Malthouse added the window for him to return was limited.

“If not next year, then I won’t coach,” Malthouse told 3AW.

“Even though I’m watching it (the game) through the eyes of a commentator, I (also) watch it in the eyes of a coach.

“But the game will shift and I don’t want to make a fool of myself and I don’t want to let people down.”

Malthouse added he had told his manager Peter Sidwell months ago not to make him aware of any offers.

The 59-year-old also said family and friends would have a massive influence in whether he returned.

“I’ve tried to push it (the decision to coach) away into the back of my mind, knowing I don’t want to make a decision until the season is comprehensively over,” he said.

“If I have any doubt it will be detrimental to (my family’s) health or wellbeing in any description I’m not going to do it.”

There was also media speculation on Monday that Collingwood forward Travis Cloke would join Malthouse at Carlton next year.

The Magpies have put off contract talks with Cloke until the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Kernahan said Saturday was one of the worst losses in his time at Carlton.

Kernahan lamented that the Blues appeared to be winning back respect, only for all that to disappear with the Suns loss.

Now they must assess what to do next, but Kernahan insists it will be in their own time.

“We will be running our own agenda, not anyone else’s agenda,” he said.

“It (the review) won’t be on the weekend’s game, it will be what’s happened all year and we will be looking at everyone.”