Collingwood member handed huge ban as Michael Voss ‘murder’ threat revealed in full

A Collingwood member has been hit with a huge ban by the AFL for threatening Carlton coach Michael Voss – and the exact wording of the message can be revealed.

The AFL and Collingwood have banned the Magpies’ member who threatened Carlton coach Michael Voss from attending all football games and events for five years.

And the Herald Sun can reveal the exact wording of the shocking threat for the first time:

“I’d like to report 23 missing persons and pre-emptively report the murder of Michael Voss,” the middle-aged man, who will be unable to attend any games until 2030, sent.

The MCG has also barred him from all sporting events for the same period.

The perpetrator is believed to be a senior figure in his line of work, but neither the AFL or the two clubs involved in last Friday night’s game would confirm his identity or job.

The AFL strongly condemned the Collingwood supporter’s language, while the Magpies also issued a statement on Thursday confirming the club was extremely disappointed in the fan’s actions.

The man sent the message to the MCG’s anti-social hotline service during the Magpies’ 56-point win over Carlton at the MCG on Friday night.

The Carlton coach was subject to the threat in their latest loss. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

The message said the coach’s life would end for the terrible performance in a slur which has been denounced by the entire AFL community.

“The club is very disappointed by the Member’s actions which have resulted in a five-year ban from both the MCG and AFL – Collingwood will follow suit,” Collingwood’s statement said.

“Collingwood will not tolerate any threats to officials, supporters or individuals involved in our great game – such conduct is unacceptable and not representative of the club or its values.”

The league did not invoke a lifetime ban as Victoria Police did not interpret the message as a genuine death threat, but rather an inappropriate and out-of-line football sledge.

The loss continued the Blues’ terrible form slump, with Voss under significant pressure to keep his job for next season.

But Voss has been lauded for the leadership and composure he has shown in recent days considering the difficult circumstances and considerable impact on his family members.

Head of AFL integrity and security Tony Keane said there was no place in our game for this sort of threatening language.

“The anti-social hotline at venues is designed to ensure everyone attending the match can do so in a safe and inclusive manner, and the majority of times this service is used appropriately,” Keane said.

Michael Voss at training on Wednesday. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images.

“We understand there is passion in the game however the text message in question sent to the MCG hotline on Friday crossed the line.

“Regardless of the intent, no coach, player, official, staff member or fan deserves to be threatened in such a way, and now that patron has lost the privilege of attending the footy.”

Voss’s family members were known to be upset by the murder threat which was sent in-game last Friday night as the club sank to its third-straight loss.

The senior coach said on Wednesday he expected a “forthright response” from the league given the nature of the message which the Herald Sun revealed on Tuesday night.

The AFL’s integrity team traced the number and were able to follow his movements using CCTV footage from inside the stadium.

An MCG spokesperson said the fan would be barred from all sports events at the venue.

“The MCG has aligned with the AFL in issuing its own five-year ban to the patron who inappropriately used the venue’s anti-social text line during last Friday’s match between Carlton and Collingwood,” the spokesperson said.

“The patron cannot attend any event hosted at the MCG during this period after misuse of the text line which is strictly in place for fans to report any form of anti-social behaviour during an event.

“The MCG remains an inclusive venue for everyone and we want to remind all patrons attending future events that inappropriate use of the anti-social text line will not be tolerated.”

Carlton and the league are also considering security options for Voss in conjunction with Marvel Stadium staff for Thursday night’s clash against Brisbane Lions.

Voss said it was an example of the “dark side” of football and was adamant he wanted a strong response from the AFL over the heinous slur.

The senior coach said while he initially dismissed the threat at first, these sorts of “toxic” remarks and sledges had a considerable impact on his loved ones and his Carlton staff and players.

“There’s a flow-on effect,” Voss said.

“The first thing you always think about is the person beside you or the family member or the team. Because as a result of what I do, you appreciate there’s an element of scrutiny that comes with that.

“But then there’s a part that’s completely unacceptable – and I think we can all agree that part is unacceptable. And we don’t tolerate that as an industry.

“We leave that with the AFL integrity (unit) at the moment and I expect a pretty forthright response.”

Voss condemned the threat on Wednesday. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Voss, who has coached the Blues since 2022, has been under intense pressure following Carlton’s dramatic drop in form.

Vandals sprayed graffiti on walls at Ikon Park last month calling for staff to be sacked, while Voss and Carlton players have been heavily targeted on social media.

Voss, who won the 1996 Brownlow Medal, has experienced the exhilarating highs of three premierships as a champion midfielder at Brisbane, but said there was also an ugly side of the game.

“I have also seen the dark side of football as well, where we blame, we become victims,” Voss said.

“This environment where it’s quite toxic and we think by showing passion is about anger, it’s not about that all, when you see both, it’s what you choose for me.

“There’s a way we need to behave, there’s a way we need to go about it, and when things are tough, you’ve got to show that support the right way, not the wrong way.

“If that’s a measure for some people on what it should look like, then I am sorry you don’t belong here.”

Ikon Park the morning after the Blues’ loss to Port Adelaide in June. Picture: NewsWire/Ian Currie

The football world on Wednesday rallied around the besieged coach who celebrated his 50th birthday on Monday.

Collingwood coach and premiership teammate, Craig McRae, said the threat was “quite sad”.

“There’s a boundary line and then you step over that and you’ve got your home life,” McRae said.

“This reality, come on, let’s be better than that as a society – he’s doing a job and he’s a great person, Michael, and I hope he’s going OK.

“Hopefully the AFL just squash that one, but this is the reality of the business we’re in, people are able to throw stones from afar – ideally we tidy it up.

“Multiple times I have reached out to Vossy, it was his birthday during the week, he’s getting a bit older in the tooth. I hope him and his family are going OK in this time.”

Brisbane Lions’ coach Chris Fagan said the scrutiny coaches faced was extreme at times.

“It’s tough. I see there was some death threats … that’s pretty average,” Fagan said.

“I’ve got no doubt he’d be doing the best job that he can, but that’s just the world AFL coaches live in.

“Faceless people, lack of courage. As coaches, we try to brush those things off, to be honest.”

COMMENT: THREAT TO VOSS A SICKENING STEP TOO FAR

This should be a lifetime ban for whoever sent the horrific message.

We love the passion in football which ties all of us to the tribalism in our game.

But “murder” threats to an AFL senior coach in a text message to an MCG security hotline is a sickening step too far.

Victoria Police is not treating the heinous sledge as a genuine threat to Michael Voss’s life.

But if his stomach didn’t sink when he was told of the vile message, his family members’ certainly would have in the aftermath of the 56-point belting from Collingwood.

Voss declared that any fan who acts like that wasn’t welcome at the Blues. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The drive home would have been tough enough without having to seriously consider whether someone was genuinely lurking in the garage or not.

The Herald Sun’s revelation about the vile message directed at Voss is an unfortunate reminder about the brutal pressures and scrutiny on AFL coaches, and the trolls who simply cannot hide behind footy fandom.

There is an ugly side to the game, and the intensity of the blowtorch on coaches is why Geelong coach Chris Scott publicly questioned why his twin brother, Brad, would even consider re-entering the AFL coaching fray at Essendon three years ago.

So if Voss departs Carlton at season’s end as many think will happen, perhaps there will be a part of him and his family who maybe won’t mind so much.

No more death threats.

Any references to a coach’s life ending in a direct threat have no place in Australian rules football and if the perpetrator is an adult – and they will surely be identified – then it should attract the maximum ban.

Voss said it himself, a strong response was definitely required from the AFL.

The fourth-year Carlton coach was impressive in his press conference on Wednesday in the difficult circumstances.

And it was that steeliness, and calmness under pressure which helped him earn a reputation as one of the finest and most respected captains of the AFL era.

Perhaps it will stir something in his troops on Thursday night against the Lions at Marvel Stadium after a poor three weeks.

But as the coach said, fans who behave so disrespectfully aren’t welcome at his club, or in our game.

There are clear lines when it comes to footy passion and acceptable behaviour.

And they must be respected for everyone’s sake.

Originally published as Collingwood member handed huge ban as Michael Voss ‘murder’ threat revealed in full