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

[JustOneTime]

Couldn’t disagree more

Culture is the pillar for everything else and the examples you state are very much to do with culture

IMO it only plays a part and we can disagree which is fine. I see across forum boards a lot of people cite culture just because their team or coaches arent very good. It's an easy way out. Hawthorn under Mitchell arent doing well ahead of their list quality because of 'club' culture. They are doing well because of Mitchell's attention to detail as a head coach. He'd make a huge difference at our club immediately and everyone wouldnt mention the word culture again.

We have been recruiting the nicest of boys across ten years and still people cite culture. And Cook and Voss are upstanding leaders and still we are mssing culture. Our assistants are nice people. Lloyd was nice. The club just dont know where the game plan is right now along with poor player selection over the last 5 years.

Maybe we are talking about the same things..Charlie chasing is a coaches responsibility and attention to detail. You may call that chasing culture. Wrong selections for positions. No rebound from halfback.

4 years back where we slid out of the 8 in the last game of the year was a lack of detail from Voss on not training the last 5 minutes of the gameplan (3 or 4 of those last games we led by 20+). That is simply lack of detail. Nothing to do with culture. Just being not as good as for example Mcrae who said they trained it over and over on camera. Voss kept quiet because he couldnt say the same.

 

[Soapy V]

IMO it only plays a part and we can disagree which is fine. I see across forum boards a lot of people cite culture just because their team or coaches arent very good. It's an easy way out. Hawthorn under Mitchell arent doing well ahead of their list quality because of 'club' culture. They are doing well because of Mitchell's attention to detail as a head coach. He'd make a huge difference at our club immediately and everyone wouldnt mention the word culture again.

We have been recruiting the nicest of boys across ten years and still people cite culture. And Cook and Voss are upstanding leaders and still we are mssing culture. Our assistants are nice people. Lloyd was nice. The club just dont know where the game plan is right now along with poor player selection over the last 5 years.

Could not disagree more. I’ve worked for AFL clubs and across them for more than 30 years. Every successful club starts with a great culture. It is the core and bedrock of every successful organisation.

The comments you make about Mitchell are very much about Culture. The comments you make about our failures are very much Culture

I was at Brisbane before and when Mathews turned up. Names like Voss Leppitsch Black Lappin were all there and were “nice”. Standards and Culture made them what they became. Yes, deep down they had it but culture allowed them to become the best they could be

 

[JustOneTime]

Could not disagree more. I’ve worked for AFL clubs and across them for more than 30 years. Every successful club starts with a great culture. It is the core and bedrock of every successful organisation.

The comments you make about Mitchell are very much about Culture

I was at Brisbane before and when Mathews turned up. Names like Voss Leppitsch Black Lappin were all there and were “nice”. Standards and Culture made them what they became. Yes, deep down they had it but culture allowed them to become the best they could be

So if voss succeeds in a gameplan change, or hires a successful transition strategist, and austin succeeds in selecting more appropriate players for the current state of footy, then you have that down as culture. I have it simply down as better thinking or tactical nous.

Example is hardwick/tigers...changed mostly nothing one year except stumbled across a successful gameplan. They go on to win three flags. The culture pretty much the same over those years.

What part did culture play when Mitchell joined Hawthorn and turned them around versus the failing carcass of a group of players under Clarkson. Simply Mitchell was much more aware of where the game was moving too. Insight, detail and now reasonable success over their list quality ranking.

I have culture down as something the club can generate like the sydney Swans committing to each other with strong leaders that does play out on field. But they need the basics of a successful gameplan first to be successful with ongoing strong culture.

 

[katmanblue]

100% Correct

Signs are good and looks like we are doing right things but change in culture takes time and a lot of work and clear direction

So far, so good but still long way to go. At least we have started

I feel like we've said similar about 4-6 times in the last decade. I hope it sticks time round.

 

[JustaBattler]

Culture comes from consistent leadership across many areas of any organisation - I prefer to use the term 'common language' in the businesses I am involved in. I guess the word 'culture' is a trigger word because it lacks an obvious clarity. Common language means peole think and act and behave according to set expectationa and rules of engagement. Either way - to establish common langiage or culture does take time - and consistent applicaiton - which also means continuity of leadership across different parts of the business or organisation.

At Carlton - it seems to me purely based on obsevation over 20 years that the Club as a whole has taken the easy road when it comes to improvement and that is make a sacrificial lamb or scapegoat out of a coach or a CEO - one person coming or going changes nothing.

The problem with consistency is the inevitable quesiton(s) around coaching or whatever- if results arent going in teh right direction....I think Voss IS under the gun - but nothing wrong with that either- teh CLub has copped a bad hand in senior player exits - but has also broiught in a dent ready to go set of players that fill previously vacant land.

Carlton has to be able to play strong competitive football in 2026 and also use the run that it has brought in to good effect. In a perfect year- for Voss ( and supportes) the team gets better as teh year progresses.

 

[Benaly28]

‘IF’ he changes the game plan to a more modern game style and utilises he’s assistants more and most importantly goes back to being a leader he may just continue on.

 

[The Blue Weirdo]

2025 was a landmark year in a few ways.
In my time supporting Carlton, I can't remember a group of senior players choosing to exit the club.

Is this due to a changing climate of general player movement?

Or was the club happy/content with removing greedy/negative types?

Or maybe there is a player unrest with the direction the coaches are navigating?(or maybe we just have a poor coaching group)?

2026's performances/player contentment might answer these questions. One way or another, we'll be much clearer in regards to future decisions and also have a strong core of young talent, thanks to our recruiting team.

 

[JustOneTime]

2025 was a landmark year in a few ways.
In my time supporting Carlton, I can't remember a group of senior players choosing to exit the club.

Is this due to a changing climate of general player movement?

Or was the club happy/content with removing greedy/negative types?

Or maybe there is a player unrest with the direction the coaches are navigating?(or maybe we just have a poor coaching group)?

2026's performances/player contentment might answer these questions. One way or another, we'll be much clearer in regards to future decisions and also have a strong core of young talent, thanks to our recruiting team.

My take it isnt any deeper than frustration across the board and blame does get apportioned. Coaches get blamed, players get blamed, head of Ops gets blamed etc.

The place all of a sudden sucks to be around and of course some players will tactically think vossy cant get it done and now leave under that frustration of this build failed (now a reset). That is, players are evaluating their time left in the game.

2026 will be an interesting year. Core players at Carlton like walsh etc if the season sucks might consider leaving. We've seen it with Merrett and the North captain. No club is safe in this new landscape.

A lot depends on Voss and the game plan.

Sadly, i think the back half of our 22 is VERY weak so turnover goals wont come before a defensive rebuild. Newman/Haynes/Saad/Young/Mcgovern all have to exit and their is no elite half back at our club yet. Most other clubs are building from the back half first.

Does Dean, Hof, a new quarterback, a potato defender come in time before more exits (it is a race). That is the question and is linked to Vossy's soon to be new transition plan we hope and its success.

 

[JustOneTime]

Funnily enough given all that has taken place, i think if in this draft at say pick 7 there was a Charlie clone, i think Carlton would kill themselves to get that player.

 

[Coona Blues]

Funnily enough given all that has taken place, i think if in this draft at say pick 7 there was a Charlie clone, i think Carlton would kill themselves to get that player.

No such thing as a Charlie clone. They broke the mould. There can be only one…

 

[Juddernaut08]

I think it's a bit too early to claim the culture reset/cleaned up idea.

While I agree we look to be making good decisions and setting things straight, there is one thing that will reveal the truth and one thing only - on field performance.

I'm not just talking winning more games:

• the effort and buy in from the playing group has to be there consistently
• Underperforming players must be dropped instead of being given a free ride...
• no more rushing back players from injury because they're favoured over other players who have been performing in their position
• selfless footy (Cottrell outside banana shot at goal when options were available as an example)

Once we see these areas improve, our on field performance will improve and then we can say our culture has been cleaned up. What GW, CD and MV have done, is take good steps so far... but we have a long way to go still.

Re you dot points:

-Effort: I generally felt Vossy was great at getting effort. We run harder and longer defensively, we make it a point to win heaps of contests. We always worked harder, just not smarter. Charlie the exception in 2025.
-Underperforming players: for sure we need accountability here, particularly with him playing favourites with his veterans. He was coaching to save himself, hopefully no more.
-ditto injury rushin favs
-selfless: I think we do need to be more selfless like running to create space for others, running to block etc. In the forwardline though I want more people ready to take responsibility and kick the goal. Elijah for all his many flaws was great at this.

 

[passmark]

They’ve back him in for 2026.

Looks for sure that a few players had laid doggo for most of the year and a couple of them have gone. But there were periods of genuine incompetence in both 2024 and 2025 that looked to be more than just players.

The New players in and some back from injury all look to have the right attitude and skills to make a difference.



Top 8 is the minimum.

I think they should move quickly if we look incompetent at any point next year.

 

[bourbons]

2025 was a landmark year in a few ways.
In my time supporting Carlton, I can't remember a group of senior players choosing to exit the club.

Is this due to a changing climate of general player movement?

Or was the club happy/content with removing greedy/negative types?

Or maybe there is a player unrest with the direction the coaches are navigating?(or maybe we just have a poor coaching group)?

2026's performances/player contentment might answer these questions. One way or another, we'll be much clearer in regards to future decisions and also have a strong core of young talent, thanks to our recruiting team.

Looks to me like they saw the writing on the wall imo ie. that this group/culture/coaches/whatever ain't it and those with an ability to move and maybe experience a bit of success before they hang it up (or just had truly ludicrous life changing money thrown at them in TDK's case) chose to do so.

I'm on record here previously as thinking its a another full rebuild and another decade in the wilderness incoming. And yes I'm very pessimistic and hope to god I'm wrong lol, but I can understand players thinking that too considering our history.

 

[gbatman]

Hawthorn had their "fit in or **** off" moment with Clarkson and perhaps we are having our own.

 

[LFTWNG11]

Looks to me like they saw the writing on the wall imo ie. that this group/culture/coaches/whatever ain't it and those with an ability to move and maybe experience a bit of success before they hang it up (or just had truly ludicrous life changing money thrown at them in TDK's case) chose to do so.

I'm on record here previously as thinking its an another full rebuild and another decade in the wilderness incoming. And yes I'm very pessimistic and hope to god I'm wrong lol, but I can understand players thinking that too considering our history.

I agree with you 100%. The only logical conclusion based on our player movements and 20 years of club mismanagement is that we are in for another decade of pain.

The only hope I cling onto is that if we didn’t ship out the shit attitudes and just sacked a coach again, that we would more definitely be in for a decade of pain.

At least they are trying something different. I doubt it will work but I have more hope than if we just stuck far with the same shit.

 

[Garters]

IMO, it has nothing to do with culture. It just has to do with a shit gameplan and coaches not understanding the right KPIs to target players on. E.g. Curnow didnt ever chase but kept getting games - that is on the coaching and hold him to account.

Thats culture

 

[Juddernaut08]

Hawthorn had their "fit in or **** off" moment with Clarkson and perhaps we are having our own.

elite coach can do that

 

[JustOneTime]

Thats culture

I don't think it is.

To chase or not to chase is coaching instructions and gameplan. Once told to chase, then chasing like a madman or as a team of chasers to help out the team success is culture inspired by players and coaches.

 

[Gointocarlton]

IMO, it has nothing to do with culture. It just has to do with a shit gameplan and coaches not understanding the right KPIs to target players on. E.g. Curnow didnt ever chase but kept getting games - that is on the coaching and hold him to account.

Curnow was a rare case. it has become apparent he told players early in the season he was out the door and gave up on season, his club and his team mates. Voss and co aren't stupid and along with Wright/Cook would have known this. They had to keep playing him and run with the "contracted and required player" line in order to maximise his return.
The minute they didnt play him or said he wasnt untouchable, the buyers would have had the upper hand in the negotiations. It may have seemed like poor culture/leadership but I dont think it was.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

I don't think it is.

To chase or not to chase is coaching instructions and gameplan. Once told to chase, then chasing like a madman or as a team of chasers to help out the team success is culture inspired by players and coaches.

Definitely, should be a non negotiable set by the coaches and leadership group, in fact besides the kids whom you are hoping that hopefully have it ingrained naturally in them, should be the minimum standards which everyone on the list are expected to provide…

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

I think Ken Hinkley listening to his wife and taking the year off is not good news for Voss.

 

[Will_Hayward]

I think Ken Hinkley listening to his wife and taking the year off is not good news for Voss.

In terms of knocking back a role with Carlton this year or as a possible head coach next year?

 

[bradfisher14]

I think Ken Hinkley listening to his wife and taking the year off is not good news for Voss.

c4 pls don't do this to me

 

[Bell Ringer]

****ing hell...

Imagine going from Voss to Hinkley at the end of 2026.

23 cumulative years as HC without a single GF appearance, let alone a flag.

Heaven help me.

 

[Lukeblueboy]

****ing hell...

Imagine going from Voss to Hinkley at the end of 2026.

23 cumulative years as HC without a single GF appearance, let alone a flag.

Heaven help me.

I’d rather horse.