Hot Topic Michael Voss - Coaching in 2026. Should he remain beyond that?

[toddkurnski]

I have my doubts about Voss and a few months ago I thought he was gone. That was the feeling internally

I have been asking why he was kept and a few things have arisen as to why

Wright has been appalled by standards and culture at club (I have as well. My biggest frustration) and had some frank discussions with Voss as to why he has allowed it or not tried to improve it. Feeling is Voss was always coaching for his future and didn’t want players off side. Gets too close and allows senior players to get away with things

Wright has now told him he wants him to go hard and set standards. Do that and we will back you. There will be no grey areas on expectations or requirements from everyone. Davies has supported this as well. It’s why players like EH, McGovern and possibly Charlie have been let go. Lloyd as well

This was presented to the board

Bottom line is Wright believes we are “soft” and with Davies and Voss will focus on this. Wins and game style are important but this seems to be main focus and Voss is clear on what he needs to do from here on

When you say "standards", what does it mean? I'm genuinely curious. Is it training standards? Playing to instruction? Game day preparation? Desire to improve conditioning/repeat efforts? Willingness to impove kicking efficiency even a little? Improving mental fortitude? Is it specific at all?

From this nuffie's perspective, apart from 2023, when the heat has been on this club to win a crucial game, stop the rot within a quarter, have players split a crucial contest... we wilt, we roll over, you can feel it in the energy of this team. You can almost see it on the players faces. I think other clubs know it, and prey on it. I think we can all relate to the "here we go, classic Carlton" vibe about a game, quarter of footy, even a 5 minute period of footy.

So when I think standards, its actully about improving mental fortitude about the upcoming game, quarter or contest. We so often have a comnplete lack of sustained mental effort and will to keep going and win. When I watch the Pies, Hawks, Cats and Lions, they do it better for longer, and apart from the Lions, the talent on the field is not THAT much better or in the case of the Cats and Pies this year, at all.

 

[tarczonandjane]

I want Voss to prove himself a success. I’m therefore of the mind that I hope he isn’t warming the seat for someone else.

The key for me is that Wright and Davies are clear with Voss as to what success looks like in 2026. I don’t know whether that’s wins, I don’t know whether it is finals. My gut feel is those outcomes are downstream of what we are trying to achieve around culture, and they therefore might be lagging indicators.

To be honest, if Hawthorn and Collingwood go into games against us in 2026 knowing they can’t b!tchslap us around, then that would be a massive step forward. I’m sick to the back teeth of teams marking us down as soft and flaky easybeats.

How you measure that, I’m not sure. But I am confident Wright and Davies know what it looks like.

So sign me up on the Voss train. I’m not death riding him. And I’d be delighted if he manages to turn things around.

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

I want Voss to prove himself a success. I’m therefore of the mind that I hope he isn’t warming the seat for someone else.

The key for me is that Wright and Davies are clear with Voss as to what success looks like in 2026. I don’t know whether that’s wins, I don’t know whether it is finals. My gut feel is those outcomes are downstream of what we are trying to achieve around culture, and they therefore might be lagging indicators.

To be honest, if Hawthorn and Collingwood go into games against us in 2026 knowing they can’t b!tchslap us around, then that would be a massive step forward. I’m sick to the back teeth of teams marking us down as soft and flaky easybeats.

How you measure that, I’m not sure. But I am confident Wright and Davies know what it looks like.

So sign me up on the Voss train. I’m not death riding him. And I’d be delighted if he manages to turn things around.

Can't think of one game where Voss' coaching 'magic' turned things around..

Not one.

 

[95blues]

Sounds a bit convenient to me.

If GW thought Voss contributed to, encouraged or willingly enabled that culture in any way he'd be gone.

More likely previous leadership didn't support any attempts or desire to tidy things up because the list was perceived to be in its window and major culprits (CC,TDK,Silvagni family) are/were all icons and key players.

 

[Gointocarlton]

Can't think of one game where Voss' coaching 'magic' turned things around..

Not one.

Respectfully, how would anyone outside of the coaching group and players know if this occurred or not?
Ten of us can watch a game and see ten different things.

 

[COBALT BLUE]

Voss will start 2026 as coach under the most pressure in the Afl

Our trades and losses are balancing plus we get our injury returns which are possibly more significant

I see more plodding in 2026.....maybe even top 8 with injury luck...just and at best

If Voss keeps it together they can't really sack him overnight...his biggest threat will be if they can arrange a better coach to commit in the meantime which might not have happened?

So thats its he's stable and quite OK or average if you like....he needs tactical help with creating new onfield ideas...it was noted tactically he has been outwitted on numerous occasions by other coaches....

Its not unusual tho........

 

[tarczonandjane]

Can't think of one game where Voss' coaching 'magic' turned things around..

Not one.

You are entitled to death ride him all you like. And I’m entitled not to join you on that train.

 

[branedotorg]

Sounds a bit convenient to me.

If GW thought Voss contributed to, encouraged or willingly enabled that culture in any way he'd be gone.

More likely previous leadership didn't support any attempts or desire to tidy things up because the list was perceived to be in its window and major culprits (CC,TDK,Silvagni family) are/were all icons and key players.

It goes back further imo, before Voss we'd only won three in a row twice in a decade (IIRC), every time we were the favourite we'd get ahead of ourselves and lose badly.

For too long there's been a combination of extreme pressure to succeed, a lack of knowledge about how to succeed and a hero worship of the players that let them get away with underperforming, on and off the field.

Anything that breaks the cycle is vital and if it means 2026 is a flat year for results but this new generation of players learns the hard lessons then I'm here for it and ****ing ecstatic.

 

[JustaBattler]

Sounds a bit convenient to me.

If GW thought Voss contributed to, encouraged or willingly enabled that culture in any way he'd be gone.

More likely previous leadership didn't support any attempts or desire to tidy things up because the list was perceived to be in its window and major culprits (CC,TDK,Silvagni family) are/were all icons and key players.

you forgot the silvagn is is 'Caaarlton Royalty' tag.

 

[Accidental genius]

Voss can't control/manage high profile players.

Plays favouritism, which only fuels the poor player attitudes GW is trying to fix.

He has a go at a first year player (Binns) instead of senior players taking the piss.

Yeah…he’s a great coach

 

[Coona Blues]

Voss can't control/manage high profile players.

Plays favouritism, which only fuels the poor player attitudes GW is trying to fix.

He has a go at a first year player (Binns) instead of senior players taking the piss.

Yeah…he’s a great coach

Being apologetic, it must be quite an experience for a coach entering the Carlton bubble. We have heard Jack Russell lamenting the access demanded from coteries regarding players. The hero worship these so-called stars have would mean a coach disciplining them is on a hiding to nothing unless the indiscretion is obvious.

Voss has most of the tools to be a premiership coach. He has to back himself, as well as having the genuine backing of the Foory Boss and the CEO. He has that now. The playing field has been levelled.

It would be easy to declare Voss a failure being that he seemingly hasn’t been able to assert his authority with our top liners, but we must accept that it is a rare environment.

I have been in the Voss must go camp due to the lack of buy in from the group. I feel I have to back the judgement of Wright and Davies and let him start the season with a clean sheet.

 

[JustaBattler]

Voss can't control/manage high profile players.

Plays favouritism, which only fuels the poor player attitudes GW is trying to fix.

He has a go at a first year player (Binns) instead of senior players taking the piss.

Yeah…he’s a great coach

No coach should have to 'control' any player - let alone the bunch of overpaid underperforming weak minded self indulgent and entitled crew that the Carlton KULCHA produced- with a Captain that says "i got ya back' every second sentence - to players who are ( literally) doing a big dump on the CLub as he speaks.

So refreshing to see some outsiders come in have a good long look around and say to the same overpaid collection - yeah naahh see you all later - starting with that over rated over opinionated self appointed future coaching star who loves helping opposition players off the deck and pats their back Docherty. What an example to young players! The same Docherty who dumped on all the draftees at Carlton blaming player discontent on Carlton not adding morwe experienced super sytars to the list - to help the superstars win a game easier - what a joke.

Imagine being a new coach to Carlton and basically being told- these players are off limits - they are our stars - thats the cultural malaise that has been at Carlton all century..


all this stuff is so obvious to anyone that isnt addicted to SacK cOaCh Carlton - and here are after a new CEO - more credentialed as a football person than anyone previously at Carlton in ( literally) decades - and the whispers have started as if they ever stopped.

Wright is smart enough to know he needs to put the cleaners the lot of these pretenders as fast as possible- before they poison the new crop of draftees and trades- so far so good- but I wish he'd get out of second gear.

 

[My Hat]

Sounds a bit convenient to me.

If GW thought Voss contributed to, encouraged or willingly enabled that culture in any way he'd be gone.

More likely previous leadership didn't support any attempts or desire to tidy things up because the list was perceived to be in its window and major culprits (CC,TDK,Silvagni family) are/were all icons and key players.

I know it's fashionable to dump on the Silvagnis these days, but JSOS was one of the few players you could always count on to give 100% every single game. Not convinced he belongs in the same category as Charlie, TDK, Gov, etc

 

[BlueTongue]

Voss can't control/manage high profile players.

Plays favouritism, which only fuels the poor player attitudes GW is trying to fix.

He has a go at a first year player (Binns) instead of senior players taking the piss.

Yeah…he’s a great coach

I was of the same opinion initially, but after what's happened, and the stance GW has made, I've been forced to re-think it.

What if it was the Club's expectations on who he plays (obviously the coach has final say) and as we've seen with the behavior of Charlie (who's had nothing but the Royal treatment since arriving), up until now, he's done what he wants and had zero repercussions, while the club has stuck by him through all of his 'self injury' outside of the club.

I no longer think we are going to see Voss in self preservation mode, and it's clear from his B&F speech, that he's willing to put his own head on the block and call everyone out.

For that alone, I absolutely applaud him, and I don't think there was one single point in that speech I didn't agree with.
He has made his choice, and regardless of what you think of his coaching (and I have been critical, and still don't agree with the same things as you mentioned, not rewarding fringe players pushing the 22), one thing is abundantly clear;
He gives a shit about this club (which has obviously been broken for a very long time before he arrived), and is prepared to stick his own neck out to try and change things for the betterment of the club.

I'm prepared to wait another 12 months and see how he goes about it.

The thread title is really a bit stupid because we will obviously need to re-assess then.

 

[blue healer]

I have my doubts about Voss and a few months ago I thought he was gone. That was the feeling internally

I have been asking why he was kept and a few things have arisen as to why

Wright has been appalled by standards and culture at club (I have as well. My biggest frustration) and had some frank discussions with Voss as to why he has allowed it or not tried to improve it. Feeling is Voss was always coaching for his future and didn’t want players off side. Gets too close and allows senior players to get away with things

Wright has now told him he wants him to go hard and set standards. Do that and we will back you. There will be no grey areas on expectations or requirements from everyone. Davies has supported this as well. It’s why players like EH, McGovern and possibly Charlie have been let go. Lloyd as well

This was presented to the board

Bottom line is Wright believes we are “soft” and with Davies and Voss will focus on this. Wins and game style are important but this seems to be main focus and Voss is clear on what he needs to do from here on

Hi Soap, I really appreciate your info and it's pretty obvious that you have some very good contacts within the club but I find this approach by Wright very odd.

If our standards and culture are as appalling as he seems to think it's difficult, for me at least, to think that the main driver of these is not the man at the helm and, if so, he has allowed this to develop and how can anyone be confident that the overseer of these standards can drive the change needed?

I also find it hard to believe that Voss was always coaching for his future anywhere but within his own mind. In his first year we were .6% outside the 8 having lost the last game against the Pies by a point. We lost a prelim in his second year and promptly extended his contract by 2 years. At round 17 in his third year we were 2nd on the ladder and at quarter time in that GWS game I was trying to figure out how I'd get GF tickets. Hard for me to see how he was coaching for his career given that, despite injuries, we still played a semi.

We all know what this year was like, lost the first to a Richmond VFL team and went steadily downhill from there. Some might see a pattern there.

It's all very well to "go hard and set standards" but there is still a fine line between going hard and going too hard, is Voss capable of walking that?

Even if all this changes, the question remains about his ability to actually devise and maintain a game style that removes our flakiness. The supporters of Voss on here have continually laid the blame on LLoyd and the assistants. We got rid of Lloyd and seem to have tried to change those assistants but, IMO, those incoming don't seem to be much, if any, better credentialled than those we've lost.

Sadly, the bottom line for me is that it's all well and good to back your coach in but I think our loyalty to hm is misplaced.

 

[bradfisher14]

If our standards and culture are as appalling as he seems to think it's difficult, for me at least, to think that the main driver of these is not the man at the helm and, if so, he has allowed this to develop and how can anyone be confident that the overseer of these standards can drive the change needed?

I think this question speaks to the heart of the issues that have plagued us since the turn of the century. At a macro level, we are a club that has a reputation for sacking coaches when things go south with little accountability placed at the feet of the playing list. This has created a power dynamic that leads coaches to going soft on the players to keep them onside.

From the outside looking in, I think Wright is trying to change this aspect of our club's culture. Once that's been fixed, then you can make a proper assessment on Voss' coaching performance.

 

[95blues]

I know it's fashionable to dump on the Silvagnis these days, but JSOS was one of the few players you could always count on to give 100% every single game. Not convinced he belongs in the same category as Charlie, TDK, Gov, etc

Thats fair. I was more referring to the family drama. I'm a big jack fan.

 

[Soapy V]

When you say "standards", what does it mean? I'm genuinely curious. Is it training standards? Playing to instruction? Game day preparation? Desire to improve conditioning/repeat efforts? Willingness to impove kicking efficiency even a little? Improving mental fortitude? Is it specific at all?

From this nuffie's perspective, apart from 2023, when the heat has been on this club to win a crucial game, stop the rot within a quarter, have players split a crucial contest... we wilt, we roll over, you can feel it in the energy of this team. You can almost see it on the players faces. I think other clubs know it, and prey on it. I think we can all relate to the "here we go, classic Carlton" vibe about a game, quarter of footy, even a 5 minute period of footy.

So when I think standards, its actully about improving mental fortitude about the upcoming game, quarter or contest. We so often have a comnplete lack of sustained mental effort and will to keep going and win. When I watch the Pies, Hawks, Cats and Lions, they do it better for longer, and apart from the Lions, the talent on the field is not THAT much better or in the case of the Cats and Pies this year, at all.

I assume standards across everything? I only got an overview of what happened and not the intricate details. I am sure there is a lot more to it

I also believe it’s standards across entire club and getting past this mediocre attitude

However, this part is about Voss and I can only pass on bits I’m told

 

[blue healer]

I think this question speaks to the heart of the issues that have plagued us since the turn of the century. At a macro level, we are a club that has a reputation for sacking coaches when things go south with little accountability placed at the feet of the playing list. This has created a power dynamic that leads coaches to going soft on the players to keep them onside.

From the outside looking in, I think Wright is trying to change this aspect of our club's culture. Once that's been fixed, then you can make a proper assessment on Voss' coaching performance.

All good but the point I'm trying to make is that Voss is in no small way responsible for the culture within this list.

Of our 2025 list only 18 players have played under a different Carlton coach and 4 of them (inc. TDK) had played less than 10 games.

The other 14 include Cripps, Mckay, Doc, Walsh, Weitering and Newman. I don't think anyone would question the attitude of any of these players. I've deliberately left from this list of 6, JSOS and Charlie because they obviously went to the dark side.

This is very much Vossies list now IMO and I'm having trouble understanding how he who may have created the problem is to be the one who fixes it.

Look, I hope it works but, only my opinion, it's a questionable strategy particularly if one reason for this is that we've sacked too many coaches in the past.

 

[kreuze_missile]

No 2026 finals pressure for Vossy now.

I guess he'd be.. relieved?

 

[Sqotty from office works]

So Voss gets a new list.
Kids coming in the next 3 years.
Jagga coming in.
Hamburgers McGovern realignment hopefully.
New assistant coach
Not sacked this year.
Yep everything Voss could have on his side is there.
No excuses for 3 years.

 

[JustaBattler]

Finishing class options improved with addition of Hayward and Ainsworth in the forward line. The question will be where does Harry end up playing - CHF so he can take relieving marks down the boundary or FF to bring the ball down. Kemp wont be fit to play his best in 2026 coming back from achilles he wont have the spring in his jump - maybe not ever again. SO a second tall is probably the missing link that has to be covered by spreading options in Ainsworth, Hayward supported by Williams. - hopefully Evans continues to impress in preseason.

between the arcs runn is massively boosted by availability of Cottrell , Chesser, Smith and Walsh run off HBF is now bolstered by addition of Florent another preseason into Cowan talking some pressure off Saad ( lets not forget Newman ) again in the backline the only real missing developed piece is a 2nd KPD - so Haynes ( probably McGovern) have to step up to plug that gap whilst HOF is unavailable for 2026 and Dean should be developing in VFL.

The third weak link in the team will be the ruck duties and how that is sorted to suit the new found run between the arcs.

Wild cards are remaining question marks over McGovern/E Hollands will they be kept on or not.

It is a stronger team and should be more capable of a varied game style.

No reason why Carlton cant play finals and develop on the run with the assets now available.

Up top Voss and co to figure all this out - Davis has made it clear that finals are expected.

Walsh signing is probably the only serious bump in the road which if sorted sooner rather than later finishes part one of the reset.

 

[blue healer]

No 2026 finals pressure for Vossy now.

I guess he'd be.. relieved?

To the contrary I think this trade period should have amped up the pressure on Voss.

There are now only 13 players on the list who were here before him and they include Fogarty, Boyd and Cottrell who will all probably struggle to get into the best 25. Of the other 10 we have a dual Brownlow medallist, a former Coleman winner and a total of 5 former AA's. This is now very much Vossy's list.

We've also lost 3 (Charlie, JSOS and LLoyd) of the people who many believe are responsible for the "toxic culture" that we apparently have developed over his tenure. And we've added 3 experienced players that fill the positions of most concern who have all come from well coached teams and another high pick youngster who seems to be the speed we require on the ball if he can stay fit.

We've also tried to address the Assistant Coach problem that many have blamed for our past failures.

I think the bar has to be set high for him now and IMO finals at the least are a must. We've supported him as much as was possible, it's now up to him to deliver. All excuses are gone, the ball is firmly in his court.

My biggest concern is that, if we string a few early wins together. we will blink and extend his contract only to see history repeat itself.

 

[JustaBattler]

To the contrary I think this trade period should have amped up the pressure on Voss.

There are now only 13 players on the list who were here before him and they include Fogarty, Boyd and Cottrell who will all probably struggle to get into the best 25. Of the other 10 we have a dual Brownlow medallist, a former Coleman winner and a total of 5 former AA's. This is now very much Vossy's list.

We've also lost 3 (Charlie, JSOS and LLoyd) of the people who many believe are responsible for the "toxic culture" that we apparently have developed over his tenure. And we've added 3 experienced players that fill the positions of most concern who have all come from well coached teams and another high pick youngster who seems to be the speed we require on the ball if he can stay fit.

We've also tried to address the Assistant Coach problem that many have blamed for our past failures.

I think the bar has to be set high for him now and IMO finals at the least are a must. We've supported him as much as was possible, it's now up to him to deliver. All excuses are gone, the ball is firmly in his court.

My biggest concern is that, if we string a few early wins together. we will blink and extend his contract only to see history repeat itself.

How many wins does he have to " string together" before he makes you happy?
btw - the Club wont be signing any contract extension during season - so you can relax.

 

[The Flying Doormat]

How many wins does he have to " string together" before he makes you happy?
btw - the Club wont be signing any contract extension during season - so you can relax.

This raises the old question, what is the passmark for Voss next year? Does he get to see out his contract if it all goes ass up. I wonder what benchmarks will be set internally.
Hopefully things will turn around but would hate to be 0-4 again.