Carlton’s Coach to Remain Amid Pressure
Carlton’s football boss, Chris Davies, has confirmed that coach Michael Voss will definitely stay in his position for the upcoming crucial match against Adelaide in Gather Round. This decision comes despite mounting pressure on Voss following a series of second-half collapses by the Blues.
The team suffered a 22-point fourth-quarter lead loss in their recent game against North Melbourne. This loss added to an already challenging start to the season with a 1-3 record before facing the Crows on Thursday night. The club had previously backed Voss to complete the final year of his contract in 2026, even after the off-season changes.
Davies acknowledged the frustration of supporters but emphasized that the club would not consider sacking Voss in the near future. He stated on 3AW radio: “Yeah, I can, I absolutely can. We are 1-3 and if we are taking any positives from those three losses, it’s that we have been in positions to win those games. But we are bitterly disappointed that we have been unable to get the job done, certainly in the last couple of weeks.”
Davies, who joined Carlton from Port Adelaide during the off-season, highlighted his role as a supporter of Voss. He also defended the presence of Adam Simpson, a 2018 West Coast premiership coach, as a part-time leadership mentor at Carlton. “Adam’s history in the game, his experience has been invaluable to Michael, and these are the times when you want to provide absolute support to your senior coach,” Davies said. “Having a person who has seen the ups and downs of a coaching career, I know that Michael is enjoying the mentoring and feedback he is getting from Adam.”
Voss, in his fifth season at Carlton, admitted that the pressure on him would continue to grow. However, he found support from retired former Blues captain Sam Docherty, who urged the club to maintain its stance on keeping Voss. “It would be a really poor decision (to sack Voss now),” Docherty said on 3AW radio. “They didn’t back him in fully and give him an extension, but they backed him in to see out this year of footy.”
Docherty, who ended his 184-game career last year, shared his experiences from when senior coaches Mick Malthouse, Brendon Bolton, and David Teague were sacked. He warned about the risks of sacking a coach too early in the season. “The sugar hit of a caretaker coach has a life-span, but I remember by about round 14 or 15 … that year was absolutely hell,” Docherty said.
Carlton defender Nic Newman praised Voss as an “incredible leader” for the club. “He fronts up like good leaders do,” Newman said on 3AW. “He was pretty calm and measured about the (North Melbourne) game and felt we played some good footy in the third (quarter). There were just some moments late, and it wasn’t the same issues as last week, but it was more around some moments that we didn’t own. We’ll go to work on that.”
The Blues will face challenges in the upcoming match against Adelaide as vice-captain Jacob Weitering is set to miss the game due to a concussion sustained against North Melbourne. Additionally, Will Hayward is expected to be absent after being offered a one-match ban for striking Kangaroos young gun George Wardlaw. Hayward hit Wardlaw late with a swinging arm to the midriff as he kicked North into attack.
