Michael Voss, head coach of the Carlton Football Club, was having a bad day. His team came off a dire performance in their loss to North Melbourne. Carlton’s loss in turn sent their record to 6-8. In an attempt to remedy this, Voss went absolutely scorched earth on his players in the three-quarter time huddle.
So as Voss watched his team’s uninspired performance and felt disappointed. He preached that they had to come together and face the storm as one. He stated, “It’s not time to isolate, it’s time to come together.” Carlton supporters made their displeasure heard. They booed their players off at half-time after the Kangaroos kicked six consecutive goals.
Based on Voss’s animated spray, it seemed aimed squarely at that midfield quartet. He went on to say his message was intended for the whole team. “That’s not acceptable the way that we played through that period of time … it just didn’t sit with the mids,” he remarked, emphasizing his disappointment in the overall performance.
The defeat was a devastating blow for Carlton. They had hoped to contend for a finals berth this year. Expectations have been heavy on Voss’ shoulders following their opening Round 1 defeat to Richmond. The pressure continues to build with the team currently two games out of the playoff picture. Second-placed Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval this Thursday night will be critical. A lot of people think that if Carlton don’t win this week that their season is as good as done.
Colby McKercher had a strong performance, scoring two goals with 29 possessions. Carlton could not make the most of their opportunities. They lost the inside-50 count convincingly yet again, and their execution was insipid all game long.
Beyond the performance of his team, Voss had to contend with all of his players’ injury symptoms during the match. Jacob Weitering turned his ankle severely enough during the first quarter to not return. He battled the pain and came back to help his team win their first match of the season. Charlie Curnow was under a fitness cloud going into the match due to calf tightness. He did demonstrate his focus when he rode his push bike to the MCG to prove he was fit to play.
The match concluded with Carlton falling to North Melbourne by an unexpected 11-point margin, leaving Voss and his players grappling with their performance. They’re now hunkering down for their next big fight. If they want to turn their season around, they need to get together and address their glaring issues.
“They don’t look on the Blues. They’re just not quite there.” – Mark Howard
