Michael Voss says Carlton’s call to change high performance changes already reaping rewards

Carlton made high-profile changes to its performance and fitness staff, and coach Michael Voss tells JAY CLARK how the Blues are already seeing how much of a change it could make.

Carlton coach Michael Voss says the club’s decision to make major changes in its high performance department has already reaped rewards.

The Blues brought in new fitness boss Rob Inness from Sydney Swans in a bid to increase the squad’s speed and power and also overcome the injury dramas which derailed its second half of the season.

While superstar forward Charlie Curnow has gone back under the knife on a knee complaint, the senior coach has lauded his troop’s commitment to the club’s new training methods ahead of a gruelling pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast.

“They should know what is coming, but I have got to compliment the group (on) the way they have presented back,” Voss said.

Carlton coach Michael Voss. Picture: Michael Klein

“Some of the results we got back from the running and the 2km time trials was a credit to their off-season.

“You can tell they really went to work on a new program.

“They have been able to adapt really quickly to what is required and pleasingly a lot of that improvement came from our younger players with the results we were able to get.

“It is an opportunity in the off-season to go away and work on something and clearly they were able to do that.”

Carlton traded-out hard nut midfielder Matthew Kennedy and swapped picks 12 and 14 for West Coast’s pick three in a major move which landed the Blues’ prolific midfielder Jagga Smith.

While Smith looks set to be able to make an immediate impact, it was the group’s oval “speed and power” which has been top of the agenda after a review of a disappointing end to the season.

The Blues were blown away by Brisbane Lions in the elimination final at the Gabba after a dreadful first half, rounding out their disappointing and injury-marred second half of the season.

Carlton AFL training early in December. Picture: David Crosling

But Voss said the Blues were specifically looking to “defend better as a team” to help put them “in better positions on the ground to score from”.

Also the Blues would attempt to be more “dynamic with the ball in hand” to make the most of their “freedom and creativity” next season.

But at the heart of their training under Inness was extra explosiveness.

“Clearly it’s an area we need to get better at,” Voss said.

“Rob and his team have been able to get to work on that (speed and power) and done a fantastic job.

“To the credit of the players, it is their job to then get to work on that and they haven’t complained, the sessions have been really big.

“They all are at this point of the season, but what we have been able to do is specifically get after a couple of things, and obviously that (speed and power) has clearly been one of the focuses.”

The Blues have been handed a dream draw next season, playing only one top-four team from last season (Geelong) in the first nine rounds.

Voss, who has just returned from a visit to English Premier League club Tottenham for a “fly on the wall” experience, said the Blues have taken many lessons from last season’s failings.

“We can’t ignore how it ended,” Voss said.

“We fell really short on what we expected, which is disappointing. We look to see now where we can get better.

“Some of that has been quite confronting for many.

“It’s about consistency, high standards and never-ending improvement and we will seek every avenue to do that.

“We are not trying to win sometimes, we are trying to win always.”