Michael Voss Faces Carlton Football Club Call Before September 1
Carlton Football Club is staring at a decision on Michael Voss after seven straight losses left it 16th on the AFL ladder. Voss is unsigned beyond this season, and the club may need to act before September 1 if it wants a coach in place for major list calls.
Voss and Carlton Pressure
On Monday night, Jon Ralph said Carlton faces the challenge of exiting Voss with respect while also finding a coach before the finals campaign starts. He said, "The greatest challenge for Carlton is to exit Michael Voss with all of the respect that he deserves, but also finding a coach before the finals campaign starts".
Ralph also said, "That would give Carlton all the time it needs for massive list calls." He tied that timeline to decisions on Patrick Cripps, Harry McKay and the chance to chase Joel Amartey, adding, "If you’ve got a coach in place by September 1, you can make that call and make that pitch and show your vision."
September 1 and list calls
The same timeline has been used before. Ralph said the roadmap for Graham Wright would be similar to five years ago, when Collingwood moved on from Nathan Buckley and later appointed Craig McRae by September 1. Carlton’s decision would sit in the same window, with the club trying to move quickly enough to shape the list before the season turns to finals.
Jack Riewoldt backed a respectful exit, calling it "critically important" that Carlton treat Voss with the "utmost respect". He said, "From all reports inside Carlton, through what has been a really difficult time on-field and off-field, he (Voss) has been outstanding".
Buckley on Voss
Nathan Buckley also pointed to the strain that can come with judging a coach mid-stream. "It can be difficult because you take a huge amount of responsibility as a senior coach for the current representation of your team and it’s not always fully accurate," he said.
Buckley added, "I see Carlton as a team who has great potential but they’re not quite putting it together at the moment." He said Voss’s approach has been steady, noting, "the way he’s carried himself has been first-class" and "He hasn’t wavered at any point."
Carlton’s seven-game slide has put the club in a tight spot. If it moves before September 1, the next coach would inherit a live list picture, with Patrick Cripps, Harry McKay and Joel Amartey all part of the decisions Ralph said could follow quickly after the coaching call.
