Tessa Lee, Sports journalist reporting on global leagues since 2021.
Carlton chief executive Graham Wright says former coach Michael Voss had a “decent enough runway” to improve the Blues despite a difficult 2026 season that ultimately ended with his departure.
Wright joined club president Rob Priestley and football boss Chris Davies at Ikon Park on Tuesday to address the media following Voss’ exit, with the club sitting at 1-8 after nine rounds. The Blues have struggled to close out games this season despite leading at half-time in six matches.
The scrutiny surrounding Carlton has intensified after the departures of key players including Charlie Curnow, Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni, while expectations entering the season were already tempered given the list changes and the final year of Voss’ contract.
Wright acknowledged the club had not made the progress it expected under Voss, but stressed the decision was not solely based on wins and losses.
“That’s a good question,” Wright said when asked whether Voss had enough opportunity to succeed.
“When we came into the year, we didn’t just base it on win-loss, and we’re not sitting here today saying it’s just win-loss.
“Did we improve in the things we wanted to? We probably hadn’t made the leaps that we would have liked to have.”
Carlton admits improvement fell short
Carlton entered the 2026 season attempting to remain competitive despite significant list turnover.
The club recruited experienced players Ben Ainsworth, Oliver Florent and Will Hayward during the offseason, with Wright pointing to those additions as evidence the Blues still expected to improve this year.
“When you say that we had players go out last year, we also had players come in,” Wright said.
“We brought in four or five guys, and three of those guys have been in the team really regularly and have contributed really well as well.”
Despite the poor record, Wright suggested Carlton’s performances had at times been better than the ladder indicated.
“Maybe we should have won three more games, and we’ve had honorary losses in two or three games as well,” he said.
“But did that mask over exactly where we were at? I don’t think we’re shying away from the fact that we’re not good enough at the moment, and we need to get better.”
The Blues have repeatedly been criticised for fading late in matches this season after building strong first-half leads.
Rebuild questions emerge at Ikon Park
Wright stopped short of labelling Carlton’s next phase a full rebuild, but openly confirmed the club planned to heavily target the national draft over the next two years.
“I think we’re going to attack the draft, we’ve been really open with that,” Wright said.
Carlton currently holds its own first-round selection, which sits at No. 3 overall, as well as Sydney’s first-round pick from the Charlie Curnow trade.
The club also owns Sydney’s 2027 first-round pick, giving the Blues valuable draft capital during a crucial period before Tasmania enters the AFL competition and reshapes future draft access.
Wright admitted the club could look to secure even more draft selections this year.
“We’d also like to have more picks in this year’s draft,” he said.
The Blues may also need to use significant draft assets to secure highly rated father-son prospect Cody Walker if an early rival bid arrives on draft night.
President outlines long-term strategy
Carlton president Rob Priestley declined to place a timeline on the club’s return to finals football, instead focusing on long-term structural improvements across the football department.
“We’re going about this in a way where we’re just looking to continually improve,” Priestley said.
He outlined several off-field changes already implemented by the club, including investment in player development, wellbeing programs and football analytics.
“We’ve revamped development, we’ve revamped well-being, we’re making significant investment in data, analytics and AI,” Priestley said.
“The main thing that we’re focused on is bringing really good football people into this club, who understand what success looks like.”
The Blues hierarchy repeatedly emphasised the importance of patience and avoiding shortcuts during the next stage of the club’s reset.
“We need to do it the right way, build it the right way, no shortcuts, and no cutting corners,” Priestley added.
Focus turns to coaching search
Carlton’s attention now shifts toward identifying Voss’ replacement as the club attempts to stabilise its football program.
The former Brisbane premiership captain guided Carlton to a preliminary final in 2023 and returned the club to finals relevance after years outside the top eight.
However, the dramatic decline since the second half of 2024 placed mounting pressure on Voss throughout the opening rounds of this season.
Wright indicated the next coach would play a central role in accelerating the club’s rebuild and development of younger talent.
