AFL 2023: Carlton president Luke Sayers strongly backs coach Michael Voss and pens letter to Blues members

Carlton’s president Luke Sayers has responded to strong criticism of Michael Voss and penned a frank letter to members. See the full letter here.

Carlton president Luke Sayers (from left), coach Michael Voss and chief executive Brian Cook.

Carlton’s low-profile president Luke Sayers has emerged to strongly back the position of coach Michael Voss even if the Blues again miss finals in 2023.

Sayers on Monday told assembled media at Ikon Park the Blues should still be held to his own stated position of playing finals this year despite a season in which they have lost five of the past six games.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ LUKE SAYERS’ LETTER TO MEMBERS

Voss has a contract through to 2024 but Sayers made clear on Monday he would still be in charge even if the Blues remained outside the eight at the end of the home-and-away season.

“Absolutely. ‘Vossy’ is our coach through to the end of next year. Michael Voss has been a tremendous asset for this football club and we’re looking forward to doing great things with him in the future,” he said.

“We’re not playing good footy at the moment, we’re not happy with where we’re at. We’ve got to get better. We’re going to get back to work and our goal for this year is finals.

Luke Sayers has backed coach Michael Voss. Picture: Michael Klein

“We did a review 18 months ago and we believe we’ve got the potential here to be playing finals footy – and that’s our goal for this year. We don’t want to fall across the line, we want to impact finals.”

Voss and captain Patrick Cripps had a strong conversation during the loss to Collingwood as they attempted to work through an on-field issue.

The footage of that discussion showed two passionate leaders attempting to solve an issue and Sayers said it was indicative of a “high-performance culture”

“We expect all of our leaders of the football club to have very firm conversations with one another when it isn’t working as we would like,” he said.

“We believe we’ve got the relationships in the club to be able to have those conversations. I kind of look at it as if we weren’t having those conversations, that would not be ideal.

“I didn’t see the footage, but good on them that they’re having hard conversations about what they can do to do better.”

Under Carlton’s constitution Sayers must leave the board — and step down as president — at the end of next season.

Sayers was asked by reporters on Monday whether he should remain in the role until then.

“That’s a decision to be made by the board and obviously the members. I’m constitutionally the president until the end of next year,” he said.

“To be honest, it’s not about me, it’s about the footy club and playing finals this year and doing the hard work we need to get working on to make finals this year.”

Blues players after the loss to Collingwood. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Sayers has his hands full as the former PWC chief executive, with the company currently undergoing a tax avoidance crisis.

The Australian reported last week the global tax avoidance scandal occurred during the eight years Sayers was chief executive, but CEO Brian Cook told the newspaper Sayers’ club position was not in jeopardy.

“There is no discussion as to whether Luke’s position remains appropriate,” Cook said.

“There is a huge focus on pushing ahead to get into the finals.”

It came as Sayers penned a letter to Carlton fans acknowledging the club was “disappointed and frustrated with our start to the year”.

Sayers said the club “deserved our whacks” but would not let “eternal narratives dictate our reality”.

“The first 10 weeks, whilst providing us with glimpses of what our AFL side is capable of, have also shown that right now, we’re off the mark against the best teams in the competition,” Sayers wrote.

“There is no point sugar coating it, it simply hasn’t been good enough to this point. We’d rather own it now, so that we can get on with addressing it.

“Rest assured, nobody is just sitting on their hands here, assuming the wheel will turn. Our leaders, everyone at Carlton, are right now demanding better out of each other.

“We have not been afraid to have the tough conversations we need to. This football club is done with finger pointing. Stability and unity in your football program is what gets you through tough patches.

“Two points out of the eight, with 13 games to go. Our destiny is very much in our own hands. So let’s own that, and get on with it.

“Clearly success will only be earned by this football club if we stick together and be ruthless in our drive to improve in the second half of the year.”