‘Wrong hire’: Michael Voss in strife after Carlton’s loss to GWS
Carlton’s season took another major hit on Saturday afternoon and fans are starting to say the same thing about coach Michael Voss.
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Less than halfway through the AFL season, Carlton is already in damage control as Blues fans lose patience with the fallen powerhouse.
The Blues kicked three of the game’s first four goals at Marvel Stadium on Saturday in what was considered a must-win game against GWS.
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But the Giants gradually worked their way on top, with Toby Greene starring in his milestone match as GWS pulled away for an impressive 17.8 (110) to 12.10 (82) victory.
The result lifts the 6-5 Western Sydney club into the top eight, while the Blues are now 4-7 and two wins outside the September picture ahead of a bye next weekend.
Speaking after the game, head coach Michael Voss said the finals remain Carlton’s objective for 2025, but concedes September is currently “the furthest thing” from his mind.
“Absolutely, for us, it’s about impact in the season and I think we’ve got enough there to suggest that we can get after our second half of our season,” he said.
“But we’ve also got some challenges we need to take care of, drifting into September right now is – as you can imagine – probably the furthest thing from my mind.
“It’s taking a break, getting a rest, coming back together, putting the problem on the table and solving it together collectively as a group.
“Resetting ourselves, bringing new energy and getting after it – and that’s what we’ll do.”
While Voss remains optimistic he can turn the season around, long suffering fans of the club are rapidly losing faith.
After the bye next week, Carlton take on Essendon, West Coast and North Melbourne in a critical stretch for Voss and the club.
Some fans are already calling for change, however, for a team that has endured a long rebuilding period and still appears some distance from contending for a premiership.
X user Jake Davis wrote after the game: “They’re supposed to be a contender, but sit in 10th. Voss will be gone by round 14 at this rate.”
Mitch McLeod tweeted: “That’s it. Voss has to go at season’s end. It’s f**king horrendous.”
Barry Howell declared: “That’s enough of Voss. Those 2nd half “move of the magnets” were disgraceful.”
Another more forgiving fan wrote: “I don’t want to sack the coach but Vossy is making it hard for me. Stop losing to mediocre sides.”
Carlton podcast The Prendercast II: Secret of the Blues took its assessment a step further, believing the Blues have made a series of hiring mistakes as they desperately chase a first flag since way back in 1995.
They wrote: “The reality is thus: we made the wrong call to hire (Brendon) Bolton, the wrong call to hire (David) Teague and the wrong call to hire Voss. All well-intentioned hires, all failures.”
One fan replied to the podcast that track record points to a bigger problem at the club.
“If you are hiring the wrong coaches, there comes a time when it’s perhaps not the coaches … perhaps you have the wrong people making the decisions and not in alignment,” they wrote.
Some Carlton fans were left asking if inquiries had been made with Sydney’s premiership winning coach John Longmire, who stepped down at the end of last season.
Others were trying to find some humour in their disappointment.
One fan channelled Ange Postecoglou’s famous line about winning trophies in his second season by tweeting: “Michael Voss in his postgame press conference: I usually win things in my 15th season.”
Another fan quipped: “The Carlton Football Club and I are no longer on speaking terms.”
The Blues regularly had the game in their grasp on Saturday, but failed to apply any realistic scoreboard pressure and were beaten heavily on the outside.
Giants’ skipper and milestone man Greene was the biggest thorn for Carlton, running bruise free through stoppages and inside 50.
Greene finished his 250th game with a match-defining three goals and 28 disposals.
The Blues looked livelier when Voss swung defender Mitch McGovern forward but the coach will need a lot more moves like that to steer the Blues into September.
– with NewsWire
Originally published as ‘Wrong hire’: Michael Voss in strife after Carlton’s loss to GWS
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