By Jon Pierik
Carlton president Rob Priestley has failed to guarantee Michael Voss will coach the Blues in 2026, declaring the club will use the next two months to help make calm and rational decisions at the end of the season.
While Voss is contracted through until the end of 2026, the Blues’ woeful campaign – which has them in 11th spot (6-9 win-loss record) and all but out of the finals race – has put the spotlight on the coach and overall football department, including football department boss Brad Lloyd and list manager Nick Austin.
Priestley held a short, impromptu press conference after the Blues trained on Monday, confirming incoming chief executive Graham Wright will officially replace Brian Cook and take the reins on August 15, with two rounds left in the home-and-away season.
Carlton president Rob Priestley says the club will use the final eight rounds to assess what it needs to do to re-emerge as an on-field power.Credit: Carlton FC
Wright had already been sitting in on meetings at Carlton, but wasn’t due to officially take over until October. However, that date has been brought forward to August. One of Wright’s key decisions will be whether to retain Voss, who led the Blues into a preliminary final in 2023.
Priestley confirmed Voss was safe for the remainder of the season, with key decisions to be made when the campaign is done.
“Vossy is contracted until the end of 2026, that doesn’t change,” Priestley said. “I think what we are trying to do here is, as I said then, really focus on the next eight weeks, get ourselves into the very best possible position addressing things we need to address, and then that gets us into the end of the season where we can in a really calm and measured way make decisions if we need to make them then. But we are focused on the next eight weeks and Vossy is our coach.”
Lloyd said last week he was “unsure” whether he or Voss would be at the club next season.
While he said the Blues would not conduct an official review, Priestley admitted the Blues would reassess where they were at.
“I wouldn’t call it a review,” the president said. “We are focused on the next eight weeks to put ourselves in the best possible position to then, at the end of the season, go through what all good organisations do, in terms of assessing where they are up to, what gaps they might have, and as a collective working through that and making decisions we need to make in a calm and reasonable way.”
Wright was given the top job at Princes Park because, in part, of his strong record as a football department boss at Hawthorn and Collingwood. He attempted to lure Sam Mitchell, then an assistant coach at Hawthorn, to Collingwood, and was the man who eased Nathan Buckley out of the Pies with as much dignity as possible, and replaced him with now premiership coach Craig McRae.
“He [Wright] is there to support. We brought Graham in as a football CEO, and that’s what we wanted. We really want to utilise his expertise, his skills, his experience, to work with our footy department at the moment, and support them through the coming weeks,” Priestley said.
“We think that [August 15] is the right date. It allows Brian to just finish off a few projects, commitments he has got, and also gives us a really good opportunity for Graham utilising his expertise to really support our footy department at the moment. It’s a really important time for us.”
Irate Blues fans lashed out after the 50-point loss to Port Adelaide last Thursday, including by targeting Carlton’s Ikon Park. Graffiti with the words “sack the board”, “sack Austin, Lloyd”, “keep Voss” and “TDK yes or no” – a reference to star ruckman Tom De Koning, who is considering a whopping offer from the Saints – were sprayed on the brick wall at the venue.
Time to step up: Carlton coach Michael Voss and player Flynn Young at Melbourne Airport on Friday.Credit: Alex Coppel
The graffiti was gone on Monday, but a security officer remained outside the ground.
Priestley, chairman of financial services firm JPMorgan Australia and New Zealand, said the season had not gone to plan.
“There is no doubt all Carlton people are disappointed in where we are up to. The season hasn’t panned out so far as we would like, there is no doubt about that. We can’t shy away from that,” he said.
“The really important thing is that we are focused on the next eight weeks, and provide all the right support to our footy department, to our playing group, to our coaching group, to really maximise what we can get out of the next eight weeks moving into the off-season.”
Silvagni in doubt to face Pies
The Blues’ on-field woes have worsened with defender Jack Silvagni in doubt for Friday night’s clash with Collingwood at the MCG. Silvagni is nursing a groin issue, and did not join in training with the main group on Monday.
In doubt: Jack Silvagni is nursing a groin issue.Credit: Getty
He was restricted to jogging alongside Harry McKay in the rehabilitation group, having been managed late in the Power clash.
Silvagni, an unrestricted free agent, has been nursing the groin issue since he was subbed out of the clash against Sydney in round 10. He missed the following match, before the mid-season bye.
Fellow defender Jacob Weitering, nursing an ankle issue, trained strongly, and appears likely to face the Magpies.
Weitering was hampered against the Power, with key forward Mitch Georgiades taking full advantage before Weitering was switched off him.
The 2024 All-Australian was hurt against North Melbourne a week earlier but played out the game.
AFL great Nathan Buckley said on Monday the Blues had been “rudderless” at times this season.
“Every now and again it looks rudderless, it looks like there is no clear direction, isn’t that understandable when you look at the questions on the coach’s tenure, the expectations of the season compared to the way the season has panned out, the performance of the talented players, and the inconsistency,” Buckley said on SEN.
“There are so many questions at Carlton, and rightfully so, because their performances haven’t supported the talent they have on their list. But, as we know, at the top level of footy, it’s not as much about the talent you have on the list as much as it is about getting the most out of what you have available, and that’s not necessarily when things are going your way. It’s how you are going to get in the trenches and get your hands dirty and come together when the going gets tough.
“Carlton haven’t done that well enough or often enough.”
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