‘This is ugly': AFL world turns on Carlton and Michael Voss in Port horror show
Carlton and particularly coach Michael Voss came into Thursday's clash with Port Adelaide under enormous pressure to show some fight and pride.
Instead, the Blues barely threw a punch in a horrible 16.14 (110) to 8.12 (60) mauling at Adelaide Oval, only kicking their first goal of the game with just under two minutes left in the second term.
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At the long break, Port Adelaide led 8.10 (58) to 1.6 (12) and could have been much further in front if not for some wasteful shots on goal.
For large periods the match resembled a training drill as the Power players did whatever they liked, finding acres of space against a Carlton side 'devoid of hope', according to Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall.
The Blues lifted marginally after the long break, kicking seven goals to the Power's eight, but the damage had been done in an inept first half.
Coming off last week's terrible effort against North Melbourne, with Voss' position under an intense glare, the Blues were expected to at least show some backbone and answer a mountain of criticism.
Yet the exact opposite transpired, leaving all those watching on confused and disappointed.
'They are peppering the goals, the home side. Could be a lot worse on the scoreboard than it currently is,' Mark Howard said in the first quarter on Fox Footy.
'This is ugly,' David King added.
Trailing by 31 points at quarter-time, the Blues then gave up 2.6 to just a single point across the first half of the second term, with Voss seen heading to the boundary line in a desperate bid to find some spark for his side.
The 49-year-old didn't address any of his players, instead making a beeline for his magnet board to search for answers.
'This is something we haven't seen for a while, Michael Voss coaching from the bench,' Jack Riewoldt said.
'Either that or (he's) going home,' King quipped.
Fellow Fox Footy commentator Matt Hill then chimed in with: 'What movement are we going to see from the coach here?
'He's moving those magnets frantically around.'
Crows great Mark Ricciuto replied: 'It doesn't really matter what the magnets are going to do. 'It's the effort the players put on. It's just not up to standard at the moment.'
At one stage it was nine Port inside 50s to just one for the Blues in the second quarter and Carlton's first goalless half in seven years was a real possibility.
'It's hard to describe what we're seeing Kingy,' a bewildered Howard said.
King responded: 'I'm shocked to be honest because Carlton's effort has been good the last few weeks.
'You can be critical of their execution and their skills, but their effort has always been there.'
After big Power forward Mitch Georgiades kicked his fourth goal of the half, Howard commented: 'Steps one way, steps another way around (Billy) Wilson. Georgiades has kicked four and it's party time at Port Adelaide.
'They are destroying the Carlton footy club.'
Ricciuto added: 'It's just a wave. An absolute wave from halfback there from Port Adelaide.'
When halftime mercifully arrived for the visiting side, there was a brief melee between the two teams as the Blues showed some well overdue fight.
Fox Footy's halftime crew then did their best to dissect what the footy world had just witnessed.
'It has been a total and utter disaster for the Carlton football club and Michael Voss,' Sarah Jones began.
'Under massive pressure coming into the game and really, the opening half could not have gone much worse for them.'
Dunstall replied: 'We just saw a bit of fight from them, which is good because up until that point in time it was basically insipid.
'I'm really disappointed with the effort the Blues have shown. They're devoid of confidence, they look devoid of hope, they've been devoid of skill in the first half.
'It's like the football world has just caved in on top of them and they don't know what to do.'
St Kilda Hall of Famer Leigh Montagna then offered: 'It looks like a group to me that has lost belief.
'Last week they were poor and the question now is whether Michael Voss is starting to lose the group.
'He hasn't got the response he would've been after … you just wonder where their minds are at.'
Dunstall added despondently: 'You just wonder if there's anything left inside them.
'You can count on one hand the players that have been competitive.'
Fans were having an absolute ball at the Blues' expense on social media, with many doing their best to come up with jokes to describe the fallen giants' predicament.
Carlton won the last of its 16 premierships back in 1995, the equal most in league history.
Since then, the Blues have picked up five wooden spoons to go with one other grand final appearance, losing to the Kangaroos in 1999, in a wretched three-decade stretch.
X account @Marruso89 tweeted: 'Carlton came into this match with one goal in mind. They've kicked it just before half time.'
Gussy Girth wrote: 'Buying shares in Harvey Norman tomorrow, judging by the amount of smashed TVs tonight.'
As Voss headed to the sideline, Brett Rowe offered: 'Headed to Centrelink to beat the queue tomorrow morning.'
@ragecherry joked: 'What are the odds for the Matildas to score more goals than Carlton tonight?'
The Matildas are taking on Slovenia in a friendly in Perth on Thursday night.
Other X users were starting to ask a consistent question.
Kurtmans wrote: 'Has a coach ever been sacked at half time? Genuine question.'
Another account, @SwaggySport, wrote: 'The Carlton Board on their phones right now (Googling) can you sack someone at halftime?'
Others were left signalling the death knell for Voss' time in charge of the club.
Matthew Stone tweeted: 'I hate the term 'play for the coach' because players are selfish and do what's best for themselves (all of them), but Carlton players at least had the chance to show how much they care for their coach tonight, and they've failed to in spectacular fashion.'
Coldogs suggested: 'It's almost like the Carlton players want the coach gone…'
John Corey said: 'Goodbye Vossy. Ain't all your fault but something must change.'
Darren wrote: 'Surely this has to be it for Voss, people saying the players are s**t and can't hit a player with their kicks, that's on the coaches who say we don't have time to practice skills, and this game style is horrendous.'
After the third term, the Blues had lifted slightly but still trailed by 56 points and the writing appeared to be on the wall for Carlton's beleaguered coach.
If Voss survives the week, it doesn't get any easier for his Blues, who face ladder-leading Collingwood at the MCG on Friday, July 4.
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