Updated ,first published
The Blues say they will conduct a vigorous search for their next head coach – even if they risk missing out on high-profile candidates unwilling to take part in the formal process – as the club tries to convince fans that Michael Voss’ departure marks the start of a renaissance in football, rather than a false dawn.
At a press conference on Tuesday, CEO Graham Wright, president Rob Priestley and football boss Chris Davies repeatedly insisted Carlton would “run a process” to appoint Voss’ successor after admitting the club needed a “cycle breaker” following a run of just 12 wins from its last 40 games.
Voss told Carlton before leading the side into their clash with the Brisbane Lions last Friday night that he felt it was time for his time to end.
His decision came after ongoing talks with club officials about his future after the Blues lost eight of their first nine games this season. Voss knew his contract would not be extended beyond this season and the decision to end the relationship was considered mutual.
The 50-year-old informed the players and staff on Tuesday morning ahead of Wright, Priestley and Davies in front of the media.
“It was a time of change,” Wright said.
Carlton’s 11-point loss against the Lions was one of the Blues’ most competitive games of the season, but the club’s management decided they had not progressed as quickly as they had hoped.
“We’re really a good suspension team and a competitive team, and we’re looking to improve in those other areas that win football games in the modern era, which has been accelerated in the modern era by rule changes like transition,” Priestley said.
Carlton host the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night, with Josh Fraser stepping in as interim coach.
“We’ve won 12 of our last 40 games. We need a bit of a cycle-breaker to get going,” Priestley said. Carlton won 49 of 103 games with Voss as coach.
In an interesting twist, Wright admitted the club will be missing out on experienced coaches who won’t be willing to go through the process with other candidates.
“We haven’t had any of those conversations with anyone. We really haven’t put together a list of people that we want to talk to, but we’re going to run a process. So, I would think that it could alienate people,” he said.
Ironically, Carlton has been down that road before. At the end of 2021, after firing David TeagueThe club approached Ross Lyon and Brad Scott to be his successor. Both were interested in the job but did not want to be interviewed for the position. Lyon was almost guaranteed work, before being overthrown at the board level.
Finally, Voss was plan B.
Wright said the club had been in real change in recent years, had no stability to improve and had to admit there was a gap for other competitions.
He claimed that the loss of Charlie Curnow, Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni was balanced, to some extent, by the addition of experienced players Will Hayward, Ollie Florent, Ben Ainsworth, Liam Reidy and Campbell Chesser.
“We think he had a good enough road,” Wright said.
Carlton captain Patrick Cripps was asked about his future at the club following the departure of Voss.
“I’ve been given a contract for next year … I’m very committed to this season. I’m not going to just wave the white flag and lose the year; there are a lot of games to play this year,” he said.
But vice-captain Jacob Weitering further emphasized his plans.
“Yes, of course; I made a decision a long time ago that I wanted to be a Carlton player for life. I have five years left, I think, on my contract … the leaders have a job to do; we have to lead this club forward with actions and words and I want to be a part of that,” he said.
Despite speculation about Voss’ tenure, Cripps said the decision caught the players off guard.
“I was shocked. It’s early in the year … I didn’t think it would happen like this. (I’m) just trying to make sense of it all,” Cripps said.
“I think everyone has a shared responsibility for where we are right now, not just at Vossy.
Cripps said the coach’s departure had left the players with an “empty feeling”, but they were determined to make a difference for the rest of the 2026 season.
Weitering’s fellow vice-captain Sam Walsh said it was a “difficult day”, describing Voss as “the best leader I’ve met in football”.
He said the club is in a period of transition and major changes have been made in leadership positions. Priestley said the year was not a waste, adding that he thought there was much to gain in the remaining 14 games of the season.
Voss addressed a meeting of all players and staff at 10am, but declined the club’s invitation to appear at a press conference on Tuesday.
He had called captain Patrick Cripps to tell him about his resignation before the news became public.
“He’s been a great mentor and a great coach for me,” the two-time Brownlow medalist said after arriving at the club on Tuesday morning. “Our relationship is very strong and that’s all I can say now.”
Teammate Ollie Florent said he was sorry to see Voss leave.
“He is Michael Voss, he has led by example for a long time. I have never had so many cameras in my face. It is very sad to see him go,” said Florent.
Earlier, director of football and club legend Greg Williams had to navigate several rounds of the car park in his club-provided Hyundai before finally giving up and parking in the back.
Wright and Davies were early, taking orders for coffee and banana bread before eight o’clock before disappearing into the bowels of the club’s management offices.
Last season Carlton’s management, led by new CEO Wright, confirmed that Voss would coach until 2026. His contract expires at the end of this year.
Voss, a former Brisbane Lions champion who led their dynasty in the early 2000s, took over at the end of 2021 following Teague’s sacking, replacing Adam Kingsley.
The Blues missed out on the 2022 finals by losing to Collingwood in the final round, and the following season Voss coached them to a preliminary final against the Lions following a remarkable turnaround after his position appeared to be in jeopardy.
The Blues’ management was very supportive but from the middle of the 2024 season, when they were in the top four, they went down and could not recapture their peak of 2023-early ’24.
Their high-profile run can be traced back to the break of the round 17 match in 2024 against GWS. At that stage of the season they were sitting in second place, more than a game ahead of third place. But they gave up that day in a loss to the Giants, and won just 12 of their next 40 games before an agreement was reached on Friday to end Voss’ tenure.
Voss finishes with 103 games as Blues coach with 43 wins, 53 losses and one draw.
He previously coached Simba from 2009 to 2013.
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Sam McClure is an award-winning AFL journalist and broadcaster.Connect through X or email address.
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