Harris, with 14 years of experience in similar roles with West Coast and the NSW/ACT Rams, will oversee the new department as development and academy manager while Harvey will work closely with the club's burgeoning young talent as development coach.
David Teague, who will continue to coach VFL affiliate the Northern Bullants, is the third member of the newly-formed unit which Ratten hopes can emulate the success of Hawthorn's fast-track youth program.
"It will be to make sure that our players are prepared the best [they can be]. Last year we were heading in the right direction, but these two appointments really put the icing on the cake," Ratten said from Visy Park.
"You look at how quickly Hawthorn has done it and I think even they said they beat their expectations by two or three years, so that's our main aim.
"Being a young team we need to get as many things fixed up along the way so we can push them out to play senior footy in their first or second years and have an impact on the team and make a huge contribution."
The criteria for inclusion in the youth program is still to be determined, with Ratten unsure whether to go with a certain number of years at the club – possibly up to four – or age – 22 years or younger – as the defining factor.
Harris was excited to take on what he felt was a huge challenge given the number of young players currently with the club with those numbers set to swell further after this month's NAB AFL Draft.
"What's happening is that they're starting to put all the pieces together, with Ratts in his first year last year, and what that playing group did as the youngest in the competition," Harris said.
"There's no doubt they've got the form there to build on and it's our job to make sure that the developing player ticks all the boxes in his preparation to play AFL footy.
"Another big part of our job is to make sure that his character is good and he becomes a long-term Carlton player. That will be our challenge; to stay as 'big picture' as we can looking down the track to make sure that these players become a big part of Carlton's history going forward."
For his part Harvey was looking forward to making the transition from playing to coaching, which he said would be made easier by working with the club's youngsters.
"The young group here was attractive to work with and I felt that was the area I wanted to get into initially," Harvey said of his new direction following the end of his 21-year playing career with St Kilda.
"Having played against Carlton a lot and seeing these guys come through I felt, with the new development going on here as well, that it would be an exciting place to be.
"I'm really looking forward to working closely with Darren in setting up this academy at Carlton.
"I've got to say that coming to Visy Park under these circumstances is a bit different. Obviously I've come here for a lot of years before as a player, so to come here as a staff member of Carlton is a bit different and I'm really looking forward to working to help develop the younger players here.
"It's an exciting time."
