Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020

Josh Fraser Carlton coach speculation is growing after the interim Blues boss guided Carlton to a 7-0 start to his AFL coaching career and pushed the club back into finals contention.

Fraser took over after Michael Voss exited two months ago, but the former Collingwood player says he will not publicly chase the full-time role while Carlton are building momentum.

The coaching discussion comes during another emotional AFL week, with tributes flowing for Nathan Fitzgerald after a tragic head injury during a football game.

Fraser Keeps Focus On Carlton Run

Collingwood premiership captain Nick Maxwell has backed his former teammate to declare interest in the job.

Fraser, though, has repeatedly said he is not ready to call himself a senior coach and wants his attention on the playing group.

"One of the things that I've tried to do, and wanted to do, and remained pretty steadfast on is taking that narrow focus," Fraser said on Wednesday.

"Because if I start to stray away from that, I think I'm doing a disservice to the club and the playing group.

"We're all very much committed to making sure that we stuck good days on top of each other, and that's where my focus lies."

Blues Set For Proper Search

Carlton chief executive Graham Wright has made it clear the club will run a full interview process before appointing Michael Voss’ long-term replacement.

The Blues are expected to look closely at assistant-coach options, with Wright having a strong record in coaching appointments.

He tried to lure Sam Mitchell to Collingwood in 2021 before Hawthorn moved on from Alastair Clarkson.

Wright later helped lead the panel that chose Craig McRae at Collingwood.

Hawthorn Clash Looms Large

Carlton edged Richmond on Saturday night, but the next challenge is far tougher.

The Blues now face third-placed Hawthorn, who are aiming to respond after trailing Melbourne by 96 points in Launceston before losing by 35.

"I can understand the narrative around this one, and Hawthorn being a team that's going to contend for potentially top four," Fraser said.

"This competition is close, and games are hard to win, but this week against an opposition that's highly regarded, it's going to be a good test for us."

Young defender Harry Dean is expected to return after missing the Richmond match with an unexplained cut on his hand.

Official AFL fixtures and club updates are available through the AFL.