Rumour Bluemour Discussion XXXVIII

[Aphrodite]

#BUMP from February


Re: 'Alleged' rumours resurfacing ...

Folks, this is the way things are here.

Posters are responsible for what they post. Moderators can not attest to the accuracy or otherwise of any rumour posted.

Moderators will intervene for a couple of reasons.

1. If a thread is threatening to be derailed because of a post.

2. If invested parties request the removal of material.

None of this draws a conclusion as to the accuracy or otherwise of the original post.

There is no need to further speculate. What will be will be.

Also, you need to remember that this thread like all parts of this forum is bound by the rules of poster conduct. If you want to express skepticism towards a rumour that's fine, but having a crack at posters who are contributors to this forum is simply not on and will be acted upon.

Simply put, don't be a dick.

Thanks all!

 

[jpfalvo]

I'm curious about the balance with replacing the assistants for Voss.

Did he suggest they weren't up to scratch? If so, are they not doing a good enough job of teaching what he's after? After 4 seasons, if that's still the case, it falls on Voss anyway as far as I'm concerned.

To me it now feels like if we succeed next season, Voss is just a figurehead and it's the assistants that do the heavy lifting.

It's a difficult one to take for me. I've been dejected most of the season and this has just sent me into another level of that.

Riddle me this.

Voss stays.

What quality assistants would want to join, to work under him and what would they even learn, given we know his gameplan is outdated and he is not known as a smart tactician.

If they do join, knowing theres the potential for Voss to fail and be turfed out mid year, how does that look on a resume and for an aspiring coach in waiting?

If there is a senior player walk out, due to Voss staying and we tumble down the ladder into rebuild mode, again rebuild assistants? Dont nornally attract top quality

This is one big risk. Admirable to stick fat, but if we are being dispassionate and pragmatic, it has huge associated challenges

 

[4thchicken]

Currently he has a better win loss record 52% winning record. Puts him 12th amongst the rest of the comp.

I don't think the win/loss record is that impressive as it lacks context.

That number can be quite deceiving as it depends on list profile and stage of development. Voss inherited a pretty mature list that included a huge number of 22-29 yo players (what could be considered their prime) - this list included

22 - Cottrell, Stocker, Dow, Cerra, O'brien, TDK,
23 - Fogerty, Young, Williamson, Boyd, Fisher, Mirkov
23- Setterfield, McKay, JSOS, Weitering
25- Kennedy, Cunningham, Owies, Curnow, Marchbank, Durdin, Pittonet
26 - McDonald, Hewett, Hayes
27 - Cripps, Martin, McGovern, Williams, Saad, Plowman,
28 - Docherty
29 - Newnes, Newman

That is 35 players that of which only Mirkov, Durdin and Hayes never really contributed much to the club (or elsewhere in the AFL) - So 32 players of reasonable AFL quality PLUS an 18 yo Walsh who was ready to play from day 1

With that list profile, we were clearly expecting to be entrenched in the 8/contending over the next few years - by default finishing 8th each year would be netting you a 54.5% W/L ratio - given the list profile, we would have been expecting much better

 

[Bundy Bear Bogan]

I want an elite tactician. A modern midfield coach that can teach a roll up zone with layers. A forward coach that can teach players how to move and create space. A skills coach that can teach players to kick to the right areas and put the ball in front of a lead.

Bugger it. We've just announced voss to continue and now find out redman is all over it. Could have been our next coach

 

[Jacks Seething Rage]

Those that aren’t thrilled with the decision could reserve their judgement until the whole footy department set up is settled. We still don’t have the full picture and won’t for a while.

True, but we wouldn't want to hang about.

No AFL player of merit wants to play our brand of footy. We need to project some changes stat.

 

[Matty411]

I’d say the following line is pretty clear:

“Graham and Michael share a clear and aligned view on the opportunities to improve football performance.  “

That’s good enough for me.

If we bring in good people with modern views onthe game AND Voss shows a clear enthusiasm to personally reflect and improve/change/grow... i dont hate it. But I have little confidence.

 

[Stiffler's Dad]

My race horse was gelded, ruined his career, sh@#s himself in traffic and the trainer won't put blinkers on!!!!!!

I would have thought that wearing blinkers is the very least the your trainer could do for you. See if you can get him to work his way up to stockings and suspenders.

 

[Gointocarlton]

Don’t you think the wording is weird.
Not our coach for the 2026 season.
Just our coach into the 2026 season

Not one iota, to me they used the word into because people thought he was going to get the ass at the end of this year so we are moving into 2026 with Voss.
To me, the intention is to honour the contract and probably extend, they are into Voss for the long haul.
I tend to flip things around when analysing stuff, if they thought there were better head coach options who are available now (Longmire, Simpson, Hinkley, Skipworth etc), they would have moved Voss on and entered the race with a view to try and jump ahead of Melbourne.

 

[BlueTongue]

Not one iota, to me they used the word into because people thought he was going to get the ass at the end of this year so we are moving into 2026 with Voss.
To me, the intention is to honour the contract and probably extend, they are into Voss for the long haul.
I tend to flip things around when analysing stuff, if they thought there were better head coach options who are available now (Longmire, Simpson, Hinkley, Skipworth etc), they would have moved Voss on and entered the race with a view to try and jump ahead of Melbourne.

I think its definitely worded 'safe'.
They could have said 'our coach for 2026' and that would be definitive but I think 'into 2026' is meant to subdue those calling for his head, so they are just as we are now, uncertain what that means.

 

[teagueyubeauty]

You have no idea what I do and don't take seriously.

There are plenty of highly credentialed assistants or coaches out of work who would die to be the head coach of our club.

Yeah I agree, but are we really going to turf out half of our list and sign up for another ten year rebuild? At some point, if every player wants to leave because of Voss, maybe Voss is the problem as he is the common denominator in all of those relationships.

Have you looked at our financials? We can afford to pay it.

Maybe the club have seen through this playing group for a change

 

[Stig O'Hara]

So, after a zillion posts & opinions, did anyone get the sack???

 

[Blue Gertrude]

So according to choo it’s looking like:

Football Director - Bartel
Football Manager - Egan

What’s a Football Manager?

Is that a made up role we game to Diesel? Do they do anything?

Genuine question

 

[Dominator_7]

There’s a certain person there at the club who by nature is ‘an agent of change’. He’s been there on the inside for nearly a year now and has seen up close and personal, the inner workings of every part of the club and where the true problems lay. If after all that he still recommended Voss stay on, who are we to argue ?
Reckon this appointment will make a lot more sense once all the other changes are in place.

 

[Blue and Silver]

So, after a zillion posts & opinions, did anyone get the sack???

The boot-studder turned in his notice, but that was his call

 

[Osc1]

There’s a certain person there at the club who by nature is ‘an agent of change’. He’s been there on the inside for nearly a year now and has seen up close and personal, the inner workings of every part of the club and where the true problems lay. If after all that he still recommended Voss stay on, who are we to argue ?
Reckon this appointment will make a lot more sense once all the other changes are in place.

Yep you gotta let it play out. Still too early.

 

[Dramoth]

He should be first gone. What's he done? If he is the Coach in Waiting everyone seems to think, then he's either being ignored by Voss or his tactics are just as bad.

Rusty would be the first gone IMO. Our forward line has gone to shit since he's been in charge.

 

[BlueTongue]

What’s a Football Manager?

Is that a made up role we game to Diesel? Do they do anything?

Genuine question

Grok says;

Manager of Football​

• Role Overview: The Manager of Football (often called General Manager of Football or Football Operations Manager) is more operationally focused than the Director of Football. This role deals with the day-to-day management of the football department and supports the senior coach in executing the club’s football strategy.
• Key Responsibilities:
  • Overseeing football operations, including scheduling, logistics, and compliance with AFL regulations (e.g., salary cap, player welfare).
  • Coordinating between coaching staff, medical teams, and high-performance staff to ensure smooth operations.
  • Managing budgets for the football department and handling administrative tasks like travel, training facilities, and match-day logistics.
  • Supporting player recruitment and contract negotiations, though often under the direction of the Director of Football or list manager.
• Example Context: At clubs like Collingwood or Essendon, the Manager of Football might handle operational details such as organizing training camps or ensuring compliance with AFL rules, while reporting to the Director of Football or CEO.
• Typical Profile: This role is typically filled by someone with strong administrative and organizational skills, often with a background in sports management or football operations.

 

[Stiffler's Dad]

So, after a zillion posts & opinions, did anyone get the sack???

Bring back the peanut sack!

 

[DrTrain]

I hear the concerns around who would want to be an assistant at Carlton with a coaches neck on the line? So when was this done successfully most recently. The first that came to mind was Dimma and the Tigs in 2017. A poor 2017 and the coach was gone. So what did they do?
Richmond assistant coaches 2016

• Brendon Lade (midfield/stoppages)
• Ross Smith (defence)
• Ben Rutten (defence)
• Mark P. Williams (offense)
• Greg Mellor (forward)
• Mark M. Williams (senior development)
• Ryan Ferguson (development)
• Andrew McQualter (development)

Richmond assistant coaches 2017

• Justin Leppitsch (forwards)
• Blake Caracella (midfield spread)
• Andrew McQualter (midfield stoppage)
• Ben Rutten (backline)
• Craig McRae (development (forwards)/VFL coach)
• Xavier Clarke (development (midfield))
• Ryan Ferguson (development (backline)

Huge changes. A clean out that I’m sure will be similar to ours. But what did they do?
An experienced former senior coach- sounds like what we are trying to do with Ken.
A quality assistant coach (Craig McRae

Craig Mcrae

Age

52

Ht

176cm

Wt

73kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.9

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.9

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.9

4star

G

1.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

16.2

4star

K

10.6

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.4

5star

)- sounds like what we are trying to do with Skipworth
Keep a couple of the best assistants
Replace the rest with fresh new coaches with new ideas.

We can do this, and maybe we can get the bounce we need. I like that the new assistants the tigs bought in came from everywhere. Different ideas, new fresh ideas, and some of those assistants have gone on to have pretty successful coaching careers.
Who would want to be an assistant coach at Carlton next year? These types of people.

 

[teagueyubeauty]

Don’t you think the wording is weird.
Not our coach for the 2026 season.
Just our coach into the 2026 season

I don’t get the rhetoric around this, we have another year like this year and Voss won’t survive
It’s wording that doesn’t lock them into the whole year but hoping he comes through with flying colours, it’s actually creative text

 

[Opium]

Why?

Have you not seen the way our forward line functions?

 

[muzza99]

I want an elite tactician. A modern midfield coach that can teach a roll up zone with layers. A forward coach that can teach players how to move and create space. A skills coach that can teach players to kick to the right areas and put the ball in front of a lead.

Master tactician Skipworth must have taken the night off tonight….and the past month

 

[SpiritOfCarlton]

The good thing about the soft cap is if you want to recruit who you think are the best 3 line coaches in the league you can. You just have to pay for it.

Assistant coaches are the most 'abused' section of the AFL community, they put in senior coach hours for rookie player wages.

They are much easier to shake free with lucrative contracts than any part of the AFL community at the moment. If we want what we think are the best line coaches we can get them.

 

[CrippaTheGoat9]

Have you not seen the way our forward line functions?

Now compare JR and how he coaches our forward to how Adrian Hickmott coaches the hawks forward line setup.

Hickmott should be our no.1 target as senior assistant for 2026 with even handshake agreement if things don’t go to plan he will succeed Vossy.

 

[Zlatan]

I hear the concerns around who would want to be an assistant at Carlton with a coaches neck on the line? So when was this done successfully most recently. The first that came to mind was Dimma and the Tigs in 2017. A poor 2017 and the coach was gone. So what did they do?
Richmond assistant coaches 2016

• Brendon Lade (midfield/stoppages)
• Ross Smith (defence)
• Ben Rutten (defence)
• Mark P. Williams (offense)
• Greg Mellor (forward)
• Mark M. Williams (senior development)
• Ryan Ferguson (development)
• Andrew McQualter (development)

Richmond assistant coaches 2017

• Justin Leppitsch (forwards)
• Blake Caracella (midfield spread)
• Andrew McQualter (midfield stoppage)
• Ben Rutten (backline)
• Craig McRae (development (forwards)/VFL coach)
• Xavier Clarke (development (midfield))
• Ryan Ferguson (development (backline)

Huge changes. A clean out that I’m sure will be similar to ours. But what did they do?
An experienced former senior coach- sounds like what we are trying to do with Ken.
A quality assistant coach (Craig McRae)- sounds like what we are trying to do with Skipworth
Keep a couple of the best assistants
Replace the rest with fresh new coaches with new ideas.

We can do this, and maybe we can get the bounce we need. I like that the new assistants the tigs bought in came from everywhere. Different ideas, new fresh ideas, and some of those assistants have gone on to have pretty successful coaching careers.
Who would want to be an assistant coach at Carlton next year? These types of people.

Provided google ai summary is correct, Dimma had a contract until the end of the 2018 season. This team of assistants was built around him and therefore unless Richmond made the call, this coaching group would be together for 2 seasons at a minimum.

Voss is contracted for 1 more season. We’re going to bring in an entire new set of assistants for a coach in the final year of his deal? How quickly is this whole new team of assistants expected to impact? Is half a season enough?

This leads me to believe that Voss may be closer to an extension than he is being shown the door.

 

[teagueyubeauty]

The boot-studder turned in his notice, but that was his call

Can’t believe he lasted so long, none of our players can keep their feet been happening for years