New Carlton coach Brendon Bolton has opted against signing a traditional set-term contract and has been put "on staff".

Bolton, 36, has been officially unveiled as the Blues new coach, claiming the role after an "exhaustive" interview process ahead of caretaker John Barker, who has yet to confirm whether he will remain at the club. Barker, however, will coach the final two matches of the season.

Bolton, who has been an assistant coach with Hawthorn, this year taking charge of the forward line, will leave the club within days after handing that role over to Damian Carroll.

Blues chief executive Steven Trigg said the decision to opt for an "on-staff" deal suited the club and Bolton.

"There is no contract per se in the traditional sense. We don't have a contract. Brendon, like myself, and my management team goes on to staff," Trigg said on Tuesday.

"It's as simple as, some protection in there for Brendon and his family, some protection in there for Carlton, but otherwise we go into this with a long-term horizon and a partnership that is an on-staff partnership.

"I think, in some ways, over the last 12 months, Carlton has broken the mould ... maybe this does to some extent as well. In other words, it has no sunset on it in terms of a traditional contract. Brendon's approach to that, our's, married up perfectly."

Trigg had employed Neil Craig on a similar deal when they were with Adelaide.

This unusual approach is part of what the Blues say was breaking the "mould" by employing a coach who has not played at the elite level.

Bolton has a strong playing and coaching career in Tasmania, with VFL side Box Hill and with the Hawks but there were Blues supporters nervous about hiring a man who had not played in the AFL. The Blues had followed this path with Wayne Brittain in 2001-02.

Bolton, small in stature but stressing he could flick between bubbly and ruthless when required, said there were benefits from not having played at the top level.

"It makes it more difficult to get a start at an AFL club unless you have played at the elite level. But, over time, if you have been in there for a while, it doesn't matter," he said.

"In fact, I would like to think there has been some kind of benefit if you haven't been an AFL player because you have had many far, varied experiences [and] often worked in different types of professions. I know the bubble of the AFL can be very closed at times, so I would like to think there has been some benefit of being not involved in it."

Trigg said Bolton showed the traits of being able to develop people and an elite learning environment while having come from a successful background and coached in his own right.

"We are 100 per cent confident of his capacity to be able to do that in the years to come at Carlton," he said.

Bolton scrutinised the Blues' list during his interview process but will now work with recruiting chief Steve Silvagni in plotting the best way forward.

He said he would not put a time frame on restoring the Blues as an on-field power, although the club has said it could be a three-season rebuild.

He said he would wait until the end of the season to determine the future of Chris Yarran, who has met Richmond. Trigg, however, said the Blues were confident of retaining off-contract ruckman Matthew Kreuzer.

"For Carlton supporters who are anxious, don't be anxious. Matthew is happy as a lark at Carlton and wants to stay. We want him to stay and we will get it fixed," Trigg said.

Bolton said his coaching philosophy would be "collective offence and defence" but he would consult the players before enforcing this style.

"I am not going to lock totally into that because I know there is a lot of good minds that is going to have input into that around our footy club. I would also like to pick the players' brains around their thoughts on footy and then we work our way forward," he said.

Bolton thanked Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson and football-department chief Chris Fagan for developing him and showing the importance of "leadership density", and then offered his own personal mantra: "The journey of life is a big fight. I have lived by the mantra of getting comfortable being uncomfortable. What I mean by that is, if it's comfortable, you already know it and you can do it. If it's uncomfortable, it's new or different. If you are in that space regularly, you are learning and developing."

Bolton will be the fifth of Clarkson's assistants to become a senior coach at a rival club, joining Damien Hardwick (Richmond), Leon Cameron (GWS), Adam Simpson (West Coast) and Luke Beveridge (Western Bulldogs).