Carlton are not about to sack Voss, but don’t expect him to be their coach in 2026

Old Carlton would have sacked Michael Voss by the time the board had reached the rooms after the game on Saturday. But that was a time when they could buy players and coaches. The last time Carlton were facing this sort of challenge was mid-2023, and the Blues were spiralling. That time, the Blues stuck firm and, in a rare moment of maturity, ignored the noise. Then-president Luke Sayers was aware his presidency was intrinsically linked to Voss’ appointment and backed his man. A softening of the draw arrived opportunely, giving the Blues belief, and they rolled into September, not just feeling good but with momentum and playing decent footy. They won their first final, Melbourne (9.17) self-destructed in the next and they made a preliminary final.

But that was then. Now, they have tried all of that, and it has in the end got them nowhere. Now they will feel they have wasted the prime years of Jacob Weitering, Patrick Cripps, Charlie Curnow, Sam Walsh and Harry McKay. Making the preliminary final suggested their premiership window was open, but it proved only a peek through the curtains. Two years ago, Carlton was defensively a mess. Their ground defence was confused, and they were easily picked through. They fixed that part of their game, but have left gaps in other parts. The modern game is now predicated on transition – how you win the ball back, how you move it up the ground and how you set up behind the ball to defend, if and when the other team intercepts. Carlton is not a good transition team. Carlton forward Charlie Curnow. Credit: AFL Photos Carlton plays to its strengths of stoppage and clearance, but those strengths alone don’t play to the important elements that now win games of football.

Intercept possessions and transition are what win the overwhelming number of games of football. Carlton are good at the one facet of the game that wins you the least number of games of football. The question will be asked – as it is at every club in this situation – to what degree is it the coach, the development, the recruiter, the footy manager, the doctor or the physio who’s to blame? They will all get heat. The list has overrated and lop-sided. Some curious decisions were made, Zac Williams, for instance, is on a seven-figure salary this year and next. That is Carlton’s doing, not his.

Yet, they still need run, run and a little bit more run. They need to try to winkle out one of the myriad small forwards GWS has stockpiled in recent drafts. They need running rebound defenders, speed and ideally players who kick it to teammates. They can’t and won’t match Tom De Koning’s St Kilda offer. If he stays, yay, he’ll get about $1 million a year, and the ruck will be one part of their list they won’t need to fix. If he goes? Meh, they’ll get salary cap room and a first round draft pick, which they will try to trade for a good player to a club seeking points for the plethora of academy or father-son picks to be snapped up in the draft. Ordinarily, the fact Carlton last year traded its top pick at this draft – to get Jagga Smith in last year’s draft – would be a problem. But it’s not this year because this draft, by consensus of AFL recruiters, is a stinker. Even allowing for the Chicken Little tendencies of recruiters, the strong view among the scouts is that this year is to drafts what Meat Loaf was to half-time entertainment. It is the Meat Loaf of drafts. Which is not ideal if you are Carlton and want to do surgery on your list. Carlton still has enough talent that its fix needn’t take a North Melbourne or Essendon timeframe, but neither will it be quick.

How to police taggers Nick Daicos is not the only player tagged, scragged and mauled – look at the key forwards. The tagging of Daicos is an issue now because it can be. Because it is Daicos. Because it has worked. Because he is one of the best players in the game, in the top team/biggest club and being watched by the largest audiences. Nick Daicos breaks free of the tag to kick a goal. Credit: AFL Photos And people don’t like what they see. So, no this isn’t a Daicos issue, but it is an issue because it is Daicos. How we got here, the role and methods of taggers are the chief concern.

The first couple of frees to Daicos on Saturday night, which Ross Lyon suggested were iffy, appeared tantamount to a recognition from the AFL football department that they reviewed the King’s Birthday match and decided “we don’t like that. We missed frees for holding, and we want to let the players play”. Ed Langdon’s forklift – stand behind Daicos with straight arms to stop him moving in either direction – and hanging on and blocking was largely allowed on the public holiday. He won the day. There was less latitude on Saturday night. And more intent from Collingwood not to leave Daicos on his own. The kneeing to the back of the legs? And the blocks and hits? They are like the hits forwards used to cop from behind that were once commonplace. If the umpires pay some frees – even if coaches consider them iffy – they will quickly stop.

Weird day for the umpires Mac Andrew heard the call to play on and took off. He was standing the mark, Jesse Hogan lining up for goal and the play-on call was clearly heard. Andrew surged over the mark. Problem was, it wasn’t the umpire who called play on. Reportedly, it was a teammate of Andrew’s trying to panic Hogan’s kick. Instead, their call panicked Andrew into giving away a 50-metre penalty and an easy goal. Points to the player for cheek and invention.

Sunday’s game in western Sydney was a weird one for umpiring. Callum Brown was allowed to run around on the mark while being loudly (there was very little crowd, so every word was clear) called three times to stand. He kept moving, but no 50-metre penalty was forthcoming. Later, Sam Clohesy speared a kick to Sam Flanders, who marked a ball clearly touched off the boot and was tackled. Umpire Robert Findlay paid the mark, then pleasingly issued a rare about-face and overturned his own decision after being corrected by a colleague and ordered a ball-up. Good umpiring. Sam Darcy was too tall and too good for Richmond’s defenders on Sunday. Credit: Getty Images Dogs have more to prove The Bulldogs predictably dismissed Richmond, as they have most non-contenders this year. There were excuses for their competitive losses to finals contenders earlier in the year when Sam Darcy and Marcus Bontempelli only briefly played together.

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