Rumour Bluemour Discussion XL - ‘Silly Season’ in full swing 😱

[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!

 

[GT619]

90% of the posts and conversations in the Bluemours Discussion Thread have zero to do with Bluemours.

sakc em all

 

[GT619]

did baldy speak tonight

 

[Gavstar]

But if voss isn't the sole reason why should he be the scape goat that gets sacked when he has a year to run on hes contract, seems pretty obvious gw has identified some issues and has started to clear out

He is the senior coach, he’s not the bootstudder. He’s meant to leading the culture, implementing a winning game plan and getting the most of out of the playing group.

What were his KPI’s for 2024 & 2025? I’d like to know which ones he achieved?

 

[Wickzki]

Broncos just won the flag as outsiders after similar tough conversations and a gruelling army camp that pushed the players hard. It just paid off.

The AFL won't rig a premiership for us the way the NRL did the Broncos.

Invalid comparison.

The NRL lost any credibility it had left tonight.

 

[Beyond Blue]

Connor O'Sullivan
Oliver Dempsey
Shannon Neale
Max Holmes
Lawson Humphries
Sam De Koning

I can’t see Geelong giving up any of those players and they don’t have draft picks to satisfy us so I can’t see how they could possibly get a deal done.

I think if Charlie leaves it can only be to Sydney who can offer their first and their future first along with a decent player like Hayward, McLean, Florent, Campbell or Roberts.

 

[bmaurizio]

Agree Sydney Swans are the most likely to complete the trade, so it’s 2 F1 round picks 2025&26 and a quality player will get it done, either of Hayward, McLean, Florent, Campbell or Roberts are very good.

 

[Tazblue]

Silvagni a third generation player who publicly admitted he will always love the club yet still choose to leave. TDK had an offer to good to refuse. Charlie just wants to get out of the place asap and wants to take a pay cut. Something is rotten in the club.

Those 3 petulant

 

[4thchicken]

Surprised at the amount of Cripps/Voss apologists - Give a rousing speech at the BnF and all is forgotten I guess...

I judge Voss on his ability to get the bulk of the list to perform consistently to their capabilities and in that respect I think he has fallen a long way short.

2022 - started the season with a 10-4 record before finishing with a 2-6
2023 - started the season with a draw, 3 wins, then had a run of 1-8, needed a BBQ are Ed's to go 9-1 to get into the finals (with a 2-1 record)
2024 - after starting the season at 11-4, finished the season with a 2-7 record
2025 - started the season with 4 losses, then went 6-3 and finished the season a run of 3-7

The only period where we've demonstrated consistency as a list was end of 23 to mid 24 where across 28 games (including finals), we had a 22-6 record (79% W/L) losing only to giants and lions in 2023, and the crows, giants, cats and pies (2024). This record compares favourably to the H/A W/L records regular season ladder and eventual premiers

2023 - regular season - pies 18-5 ie 78%, premiers pies 21-5 ie 81%
2024 - regular season - swans 17-6 ie 74%, premiers lions 20-6 ie 77%
2025 - regular season - Adelaide 18-8 ie 78%, premiers lions 19-7-1 ie 72%

How the **** is a list that manages 79% W-L record over 28 games not good enough?

If it our performances haven't been due to lack of quality, then perhaps it is player avaiability/injuries? After all most flag contenders have very good injury runs. So how did we in terms of player availability across the 22-6 run?

2023 end of the 2023 season (11-2 run) - We had 21 players miss 2 or more games due to injury or form - this list included boyd 8 games (62%), cerra 4 games (31%), Cowan 10 games (77%), Cripps 2 games (15%), E Curnow 8 games (62%), TDK (2 games 15%), Dow 5 games (46%), Durdin 12 games (92%), fisher 9 games (69%), O Hollands 5 games (38%), Kennedy 8 games (62%), Marchbank 5 games (38%), Martin 2 games (15%), McGovern 3 games (23%), Mckay 5 games (38%), Motlop 4 games (31%), Owies 3 games (23%), pittonet 5 games (38%) JSOS 9 games (69%), Walsh 4 games (31%), young 9 games (69%).

Not exactly a picture of consistency

• Only about about half the team 12 players miss 1 game or less - acres, Cottrell, cincotta, cuningham, C Curnow, Docherty, Fogarty (didn't play prior to the run) Hewitt (who missed games just prior to the 11-2 run), Kemp (did not play in seniors for 8 of first 10 games), Newman, Saad and Weitering
• Less than a 1/4 of the team played every game over over the entire 11-2 stretch (acres, cincotta, c curnow, saad, weitering)

Similarly for 2024, we had 21 players miss 2 or more games due to form/injury across the initial 11-4 run (Carroll, Cerra, Cincotta, Cottrell, Cowan, Cuningham, docherty, durdin, fantasia, Fogerty, E Hollands, Kemp, Marchbank, Martin, McGovern, Motlop, Pittonet, Saad, Walsh, Weitering and young) - this also doesn't take into account the loss of 3 contributors from the 2023 run (E Curnow retirement, Dow and Fisher traded)

TLDR; In spite of having highly inconsistent team across end of 23 and start of 24, we still managed a run of 28 games that clearly demonstrated the list was good more than good enough to contend with any team in the competition. What is sad about this run is that perhaps without the infamous Curnow BBQ we may not have ever seen it...

Voss has failed to get the best out of the list (compounded by the fact that despite having a list that was good enough, our LM decided to strip out mature list depth (thereby reducing the ability of the list to deal with injuries/form fluctuations)

As for Cripps - Has been captain/co-captain for the past 7 years - so to a large extent - the playing group culture, standards and team consistency fall on his shoulders. Great individual players but as a captain has failed to deliver across the above 3 measures. Notably Cripps has failed to hold any BBQs to ensure the team delivered improved onfield performances!

 

[TwiggleyFanClub]

Ignore the media beat-up commentary around it.
Voss publicly admits stuff we’ve all known for years and draws a line in the sand, and the sky is falling?
Give me a spell.
Voss knows he’s here only by the grace of God. Everything he said tonight would have been with the approval if not fed to him specifically by GW.
Forget the all the list rebuilds we’ve seen over the last 20 years. This is the cultural rebuild we’ve needed for years and it was officially launched tonight.

 

[Garters]

I've seen enough. Voss isn't the right coach to bring us a premiership.

Was chatting with Isaac Smith last year at a lunch we were talking about coaches and stuff. Asked him about Clarkson, was he reslly the master coach. Said he was great at backing the squad in but he said that team could have coached itself given the temperament of its leadership group and all putting the team before the individual.
Look at Clarkson's results with a young north list. A coach can lead a horse to water but it takes ownership as a playing group to drive standards.

To think this is just a Voss issue when they had an 80% win loss rate for that period of 2023/24 is lunacy.
For the first time the blow torch is put on the playing group. The responses have been telling. Sacking Lloyd and getting rid of Cook will have a far bigger impact than if they just took the easy route and killed another coach and gave the playing group yet another out.

 

[tarczonandjane]

Ignore the media beat-up commentary around it.
Voss publicly admits stuff we’ve all known for years and draws a line in the sand, and the sky is falling?
Give me a spell.
Voss knows he’s here only by the grace of God. Everything he said tonight would have been with the approval if not fed to him specifically by GW.
Forget the all the list rebuilds we’ve seen over the last 20 years. This is the cultural rebuild we’ve needed for years and it was officially launched tonight.

I like your use of the line in the sand phrase. For years I’ve felt that single game by Hawthorn against Essendon was essential to what they became. They had been down for a period, and they basically said enough is enough.

For me, the ultimate line in the sand for our club will also be in a game. It will be against a side like Collingwood or Hawthorn who have pushed us around for years and our players will finally come out and say we are fed up with getting slapped around.

Speech doesn’t carry the same value. But the speech from Voss is hopefully a pointer that we might be getting our act together so we can finally step on the field and carry ourselves as a football club which can hold its head high.

 

[Accidental genius]

He's been our most successful coach in over a decade and he still has a year to run.

Doesn’t mean a great deal really…We started a rebuild in last decade or so

During Boltons era team were just babies

Team was developed a little during Teague era

Voss had our best/developed/mature list and although we made finals it was not sustainable and we fell away quickly.

Compared to mitchell, fly who came in and have their teams flying.

Remember Voss has been coaching for ~10 years.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Doesn’t mean a great deal really…We started a rebuild in last decade or so

During Boltons era team were just babies

Team was developed a little during Teague era

Voss had our best/developed/mature list and although we made finals it was not sustainable and we fell away quickly.

Compared to mitchell, fly who came in and have their teams flying.

Remember Voss has been coaching for ~10 years.

If you don't like Voss that's fine, I hardly think he's a superstar coach either.

I just think, and have thought from well before the decision to retain Voss, that this list is more to blame than the coaches.

The conditional attitudes from many of our players during what should have been our 'window' was simply pathetic. And those attitudes long predated Voss.

Scapegoating the coach once again by giving him the sack and retaining the pea hearted players imo is the worst thing we could have done and I'm glad we went the opposite way.

 

[McConville]

The AFL won't rig a premiership for us the way the NRL did the Broncos.

Invalid comparison.

The NRL lost any credibility it had left tonight.

And without Reece Walsh who is a freak, they don't win that.

 

[TrueQldBlue]

90% of the posts and conversations in the Bluemours Discussion Thread have zero to do with Bluemours.

Exactly...where are the actual Bluemours please....
All this stuff should be in the Vossy discussion group..
Now I'm a target....

 

[Blue_Fusion]

Surprised at the amount of Cripps/Voss apologists - Give a rousing speech at the BnF and all is forgotten I guess...

I judge Voss on his ability to get the bulk of the list to perform consistently to their capabilities and in that respect I think he has fallen a long way short.

2022 - started the season with a 10-4 record before finishing with a 2-6
2023 - started the season with a draw, 3 wins, then had a run of 1-8, needed a BBQ are Ed's to go 9-1 to get into the finals (with a 2-1 record)
2024 - after starting the season at 11-4, finished the season with a 2-7 record
2025 - started the season with 4 losses, then went 6-3 and finished the season a run of 3-7

The only period where we've demonstrated consistency as a list was end of 23 to mid 24 where across 28 games (including finals), we had a 22-6 record (79% W/L) losing only to giants and lions in 2023, and the crows, giants, cats and pies (2024). This record compares favourably to the H/A W/L records regular season ladder and eventual premiers

2023 - regular season - pies 18-5 ie 78%, premiers pies 21-5 ie 81%
2024 - regular season - swans 17-6 ie 74%, premiers lions 20-6 ie 77%
2025 - regular season - Adelaide 18-8 ie 78%, premiers lions 19-7-1 ie 72%

How the **** is a list that manages 79% W-L record over 28 games not good enough?

If it our performances haven't been due to lack of quality, then perhaps it is player avaiability/injuries? After all most flag contenders have very good injury runs. So how did we in terms of player availability across the 22-6 run?

2023 end of the 2023 season (11-2 run) - We had 21 players miss 2 or more games due to injury or form - this list included boyd 8 games (62%), cerra 4 games (31%), Cowan 10 games (77%), Cripps 2 games (15%), E Curnow 8 games (62%), TDK (2 games 15%), Dow 5 games (46%), Durdin 12 games (92%), fisher 9 games (69%), O Hollands 5 games (38%), Kennedy 8 games (62%), Marchbank 5 games (38%), Martin 2 games (15%), McGovern 3 games (23%), Mckay 5 games (38%), Motlop 4 games (31%), Owies 3 games (23%), pittonet 5 games (38%) JSOS 9 games (69%), Walsh 4 games (31%), young 9 games (69%).

Not exactly a picture of consistency

• Only about about half the team 12 players miss 1 game or less - acres, Cottrell, cincotta, cuningham, C Curnow, Docherty, Fogarty (didn't play prior to the run) Hewitt (who missed games just prior to the 11-2 run), Kemp (did not play in seniors for 8 of first 10 games), Newman, Saad and Weitering
• Less than a 1/4 of the team played every game over over the entire 11-2 stretch (acres, cincotta, c curnow, saad, weitering)

Similarly for 2024, we had 21 players miss 2 or more games due to form/injury across the initial 11-4 run (Carroll, Cerra, Cincotta, Cottrell, Cowan, Cuningham, docherty, durdin, fantasia, Fogerty, E Hollands, Kemp, Marchbank, Martin, McGovern, Motlop, Pittonet, Saad, Walsh, Weitering and young) - this also doesn't take into account the loss of 3 contributors from the 2023 run (E Curnow retirement, Dow and Fisher traded)

TLDR; In spite of having highly inconsistent team across end of 23 and start of 24, we still managed a run of 28 games that clearly demonstrated the list was good more than good enough to contend with any team in the competition. What is sad about this run is that perhaps without the infamous Curnow BBQ we may not have ever seen it...

Voss has failed to get the best out of the list (compounded by the fact that despite having a list that was good enough, our LM decided to strip out mature list depth (thereby reducing the ability of the list to deal with injuries/form fluctuations)

As for Cripps - Has been captain/co-captain for the past 7 years - so to a large extent - the playing group culture, standards and team consistency fall on his shoulders. Great individual players but as a captain has failed to deliver across the above 3 measures. Notably Cripps has failed to hold any BBQs to ensure the team delivered improved onfield performances!

The club hasn't extended Voss... they're only honouring his contract...

 

[Accidental genius]

If you don't like Voss that's fine, I hardly think he's a superstar coach either.

I just think, and have thought from well before the decision to retain Voss, that this list is more to blame than the coaches.

The conditional attitudes from many of our players during what should have been our 'window' was simply pathetic. And those attitudes long predated Voss.

Scapegoating the coach once again by giving him the sack and retaining the pea hearted players imo is the worst thing we could have done and I'm glad we went the opposite way.

I don’t dislike Voss.

I agree our list has had those sorts of issues which predates Voss and I like the approach tge club is taking to deal with some of the players you’re talking about.

It’s widely accepted that Voss isnt good tactically but some of the behaviours/actions of Voss shows he isn’t very good with player relations as well.

The latter was a clear issuer when he coached lions as well.

 

[lily of laguna]

The most insight we have into the attitude of players at the club recently has been Docs post career interviews.

He suggested the players kind of expected to keep winning and started to get a little out over their skis.
He also said that the players thought/felt that the push to a flag should include bringing in some experienced players like Houston and keeping Jack Martin

19

Jack Martin

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

6.3

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

3.7

5star

G

0.9

4star

D

14.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

3.6

4star

G

1.1

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.6

3star

et al and similar list management decisions.
Clearing out these injury riddled players and hitting the draft for Jagga (esp after he went down with his knee) had put some of the players noses out of joint.

I think this is some of the lack of resilience that Voss is referring to, the group couldn't work through these choices and deal with their own disenchantment. Players gave up/stopped being unified because it didn't go their way. Adding to this was TDK and his outrageous offer, and Jack's upset that we didn't get Houston, Charlie has obviously been challenged (and whatever the beef is with Ed and the club??) add to this injury to some important positions Cotters, Fantasia, Newman, Kemp and then Lij and McKay being unavailable and it all spiralled into a steaming pile of shit!

There are also issues with the structure and strategy of the game plan which players will see and react to.

These factors (and many others) are why the team struggled and I can see why GW held off from sacking Voss. There were so many parts to rectify and certain players that were influencing the negativity that need to be changed first.

Voss has this off season and the start of the next year to show that he can lead us out of the quagmire of last season with renewed focus, hope and determination. I hope he can do it and that the off season changes and additions to the playing list and footy dept. can lead to a winning season in 2026.

 

[Ezayyak]

I’m not sure how this is a positive. The worst coach in the league finally admits he’s no good at the BnF. Really fills me with confidence.

You can look at this two ways, I prefer and hope to look at it in its positive context. I have massive reservations as Voss as a tactician but if he is willing to admit he failed as a coach this year instead of digging in his heals of 'his brand" , then I'm prepared to accept this on face value and that he is willing to modernise his game plan. It takes a bit of courage to admit such a thing unless you are willing to accept the result of it.

The resilience part isn't only a failure of him, it is the fatn club culture that has festered over the decades. Needs more than a head coach to change it.

 

[I bleed Blue]

It's also not Vossy's fault that our president couldn't keep his dick in his pants and fell on his sword.
Or we employed a CEO who was topping up his superannuation without changing anything of any substance.
Or that we had a Head of Football who was basically incompetent at his job.

Voss hasn't been perfect, but he's been a rock while the walls were crumbling around him.

AND there was absolutely zero chance of him getting sacked when Wright took over. First day on the job and the first thing he does is sack the head coach....don't think so.

The odds of Voss being our head coach the end of 2026 is four fifths of **** all. His job is to lay the foundations for the next coach to take over the reigns with clear air.

I'll put my hand up and say I was one who wanted to see Voss go. However now the club has stuck with him, and the way he has carried himself, I'm back on board. Hope to see him lift #17 for us.

Was at an event recently where Ling was a guest speaker. Someone asked him about Carlton and Voss.

He said Vossy is a great leader, and he personally has a lot of faith in him.

He said he couldn't imagine what it would be like to walk into a club like Carlton or Essendon. He said the financial power brokers, sponsors etc are almost impossible to control. Said that even when they say they are going to leave everything to the football department, as soon as things get rocky they try to step in and demand changes. He said it would take some very strong people to stand up to them.... he also said, you've just appointed Graham Wright, so maybe you've finally found someone who can, and we just need find a head of football who also can (this was before we appointed Chris Davis).

Let's hope these two appointments are the turning point.

I hope Wright, Davis and Voss are the three men to lead us through this mess and to success.

 

[lily of laguna]

You can look at this two ways, I prefer and hope to look at it in its positive context. I have massive reservations as Voss as a tactician but if he is willing to admit he failed as a coach this year instead of digging in his heals of 'his brand" , then I'm prepared to accept this on face value and that he is willing to modernise his game plan. It takes a bit of courage to admit such a thing unless you are willing to accept the result of it.

The resilience part isn't only a failure of him, it is the fatn club culture that has festered over the decades. Needs more than a head coach to change it.

Yes there are club wide changes needed that go beyond the coach. It is partly why just changing the coach every few years hasn't provided us with sustained success.

I am hopeful (fool me once....) that with GW and Davies now at the helm we can finally make these necessary changes both in personnel and in attitude that will make a meaningful difference.

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

You can look at this two ways, I prefer and hope to look at it in its positive context. I have massive reservations as Voss as a tactician but if he is willing to admit he failed as a coach this year instead of digging in his heals of 'his brand" , then I'm prepared to accept this on face value and that he is willing to modernise his game plan. It takes a bit of courage to admit such a thing unless you are willing to accept the result of it.

The resilience part isn't only a failure of him, it is the fatn club culture that has festered over the decades. Needs more than a head coach to change it.

But can he change his ways?

 

[Blue_Fusion]

The most insight we have into the attitude of players at the club recently has been Docs post career interviews.

He suggested the players kind of expected to keep winning and started to get a little out over their skis.
He also said that the players thought/felt that the push to a flag should include bringing in some experienced players like Houston and keeping Jack Martin et al and similar list management decisions.
Clearing out these injury riddled players and hitting the draft for Jagga (esp after he went down with his knee) had put some of the players noses out of joint.

I think this is some of the lack of resilience that Voss is referring to, the group couldn't work through these choices and deal with their own disenchantment. Players gave up/stopped being unified because it didn't go their way. Adding to this was TDK and his outrageous offer, and Jack's upset that we didn't get Houston, Charlie has obviously been challenged (and whatever the beef is with Ed and the club??) add to this injury to some important positions Cotters, Fantasia, Newman, Kemp and then Lij and McKay being unavailable and it all spiralled into a steaming pile of shit!

There are also issues with the structure and strategy of the game plan which players will see and react to.

These factors (and many others) are why the team struggled and I can see why GW held off from sacking Voss. There were so many parts to rectify and certain players that were influencing the negativity that need to be changed first.

Voss has this off season and the start of the next year to show that he can lead us out of the quagmire of last season with renewed focus, hope and determination. I hope he can do it and that the off season changes and additions to the playing list and footy dept. can lead to a winning season in 2026.

Pure speculation, but maybe Ed wanted some role at the club post retirement and was denied? What else could have ticked him off?

 

[whySOSserious]

McGovern hasn't been offered a contract - he was asked to shop himself around, honestly I don't think he has any takers. Desperately wants to stay but the club isn't forthcoming. It's purely a waiting game for him but doesn't like his chances. Very upset.

Lij said he is hoping he will get to stay, but also wasn't very confident.

 

[lily of laguna]

Pure speculation, but maybe Ed wanted some role at the club post retirement and was denied? What else could have ticked him off?

No idea!
Maybe he wanted to be kicking skills coach???