Opinion
Michael Voss’ position as Carlton coach is guaranteed for at least another week, in a season in which the club’s stated aspiration was to make the expanded version of finals, the top 10.
It was a goal that bespoke realism and a recognition of the limitations of their playing list, which had lost Charlie Curnow, Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni and finished 11th in 2025.
At this point, the Blues are performing like a bottom-six side. If it is debatable whether they’re bottom four, 14th or 13th, the form line is consistent: they build leads against teams in their weight division, only to be overrun thereafter.
The Blues were saved from ignominy by the profligacy of Richmond’s Tom Lynch in round one, blew a 43-point lead against the Demons and were then outworked and outrun by the younger Kangaroos late on Good Friday. The disparity in leg speed and numbers around the ball was notable in the final 10 minutes when North stormed home.
Where does this leave Voss? Many Carlton fans have had enough, and would like to see him dealt with in the traditional Carlton manner – sacked and replaced forthwith (and paid out). The more realistic know that the Blues aren’t a finals team – not top eight at least – and are in the early stages of a football department-wide reset.
Under the leadership of chief executive Graham Wright and president Rob Priestley, the Blues have preached stability and projected calm. They would know that the fans don’t have infinite patience, but they also understand that the club must cast ahead beyond 2026 in assessing Voss’ position.
The odds are clearly stacked against Voss continuing as senior coach in 2027, given that the Blues are not showing the improvement that the hierarchy said he would be judged on. The club’s list moves – prioritising the draft and quality kids – rendered Voss’ task more difficult. That said, the coach could at least show that their method and mettle were improving, even if the raw talent was well below contention-ready.
But if Voss is unlikely to survive into 2027, this does not mean he should be moved on in the coming few weeks to allow Carlton to begin searching for a successor. Indeed, to remove a contracted coach within the first third of the season would be both unnecessary and potentially harmful to the club’s medium-term needs; it would repeat the historic patterns of ruthless impatience and mock the notion that this is a new sober Carlton.
Voss must be retained until it is evident that the Blues a) cannot attain their benchmark of the top 10, and b) are not demonstrating improvement in key metrics – one of which should be the execution of skills and defensive actions under duress.
Logically, Voss should be given more than six or seven weeks to find an improved version. Once the finals are beyond them – and some critics would argue that’s already so – then it is quite fair and reasonable for Wright and his football boss Chris Davies to advise Voss that he will not be offered a contract for 2027.
Priestley told this masthead 10 days ago that Voss “is our coach for this year”.
Once the decision has been made that Voss will not coach in 2027, it can be left to Voss to decide whether he wishes to coach out the remainder of this year. Most coaches choose to go immediately (or with one send-off game) once they receive the bad news.
As football boss at Collingwood, Wright removed Nathan Buckley in mid-2021, allowing the Magpies time to openly search for his replacement; Buckley was rightly given a dignified exit that respected his magnificent service to the club and stature in the game. Collingwood’s coach search process, managed by Wright, landed a premiership.
Voss, whose contribution to Carlton is not as longstanding as Buckley’s to Collingwood (nor as successful), nonetheless deserves to be given his shot at turning this leaky ship around in the coming weeks, and seeing whether he can plug the leaks that have sunk the Blues in three winnable games against less-than-stellar opposition.
The respite is unlikely to come on Thursday in the Gather Round opener against the Crows.
Once the season is cactus, Voss can be moved on. But no sooner. The days of sacking coaches in April and May should be long gone, even at Royal Parade.
Jake Niall is a Walkley award-winning sports journalist and chief AFL writer for The Age.Connect via X or email.
