Latest news with #RobPriestley
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Why Collingwood coach Craig McRae feels sorry for Michael Voss - 'guy I've got enormous love and support for'
Collingwood coach Craig McRae will reach out to support Carlton counterpart Michael Voss after inadvertently pouring more heat on his embattled friend on Friday. Voss is again in the firing line after the Blues suffered another humiliating defeat, this time a 56-point thrashing from McRae's rampant Magpies at the MCG. The 17.13 (115) to 8.11 (59) result sent Collingwood further clear on top of the ladder as their premiership assault gathers further steam. And it left Carlton (6-10) stuck under the blowtorch ahead of another difficult assignment against reigning premiers Brisbane. 'For all our excitement there's a level of, 'I hope my mate's OK',' McRae said of former Lions premiership teammate Voss. 'As much as we want to beat our arch-rival, that's done now and I just go into love and care and support for a guy that I've got enormous love and support for. 'So I hope he's going OK. It's a tough industry, we know. 'We sit in this chair - it's a hot seat - and when things don't work out we know what the job sometimes puts across your desk.' McRae and Voss don't talk during the build-up to matches between their two sides, but the former Lions goal-sneak will reach out to his ex-captain in the coming days. 'I'm not sure whether I can do anything, other than just be there for him so he can maybe have someone to chat to,' he said. Carlton president Rob Priestley this week declared Voss safe at least until the end of the season, without guaranteeing the coach will see out the final year of his contract. But another meek performance from the Blues will spark further debate about the 49-year-old's tenure ahead of incoming CEO Graham Wright's official start next month. 'The only thing that I'm really worried about right now is ensuring that we continue to support our people, and that's what we're going to continue to do,' Voss said. 'This goes well beyond our support teams and our players - this goes to families, as well, and how we're supporting them. 'So all those sorts of things about pressure and messaging, they are the least of my concerns right now.' After three straight losses, Carlton are all but out of finals contention with seven rounds left to play. Voss said the top eight is 'the furthest thing from my mind' but insisted there is still plenty to be gained from the rest of the season. 'The fight's on and the season's live, so this is the most important part,' he said. 'Seeing out the season strongly is exactly what we are going to do. 'There will obviously be some opportunities, with some younger players, but there's also trying to get the cohesion with the group. 'So we might have some breakdowns - we might - but we're pretty determined to give that exposure where needed.
News.com.au
03-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Carlton coach Michael Voss took limited support for his role on board with a clear focus on Collingwood
Embattled Carlton coach Michael Voss is adamant he and the club's board are 'aligned' on his position and declared he and his players were 'going after' the remainder of the season and nothing would be held back despite finals being almost impossible. Blues supporters are in open revolt after back-to-back losses to North Melbourne and then last week's disaster against Port Adelaide with the unrest moving the club president to declare Voss would see out the season. But Rob Priestley also refused to confirm Voss would see out his full contract, which runs through to the end of 2026, pending a review. Ahead of a monster clash with ladder leaders Collingwood, Voss on Thursday said he took that current support on board and would continue getting 'busy' on making his battling team better. 'What we've always been is pretty aligned with where we need to go,' Voss said. 'It's probably the least of things that I'm thinking about at the moment. 'It's more about care for our people, and we've got a job to do, and it's been fairly eyes in, and also know that that sort of connection and alignment will help us. 'And so to have that, have that leadership through this period of time is going to be important my role. 'And yeah, we're busy getting after getting better.' Voss flagged 'a few' changes to the side for the clash with the Magpies and despite, with a 6-9 record, finals seemingly out of the question, said there would be no holding back in the final eight rounds. 'For us, this season is live, there's a lot to get out of this year,' he said. 'There's nothing parked, there's nothing saved, there's nothing to protect, we are going after it.' Star forward Charlie Curnow has gone goalless in the two losses which have heaped pressure on Voss and the Blues and the coach said there was only one way for him to turn his form around. 'Persistence, it's about persistence,' he said. 'I thought he competed really hard (against Port Adelaide), he fought right to the end as most of the guys did. We've got to try and generate the opportunities for him to capitalise.' Voss conceded there was 'peak interest' in his club right now and that he and the players accepted the extra scrutiny and attention, but had a form focus on blocking out the noise and improving. 'Of course, there's an expectation that there's going to be a level of focus. So there's, there's peak interest in us right now, so that we can't step away from that,' he said. 'But also you can't act into it as well. You know, there's certain things that we get to be able to do, how we turn up and how we show up, that's on us. 'And so we lock in on what we need to be able to do next, and we've got Collingwood, so that's a that's a really big game, and that can shift your focus pretty quickly. 'So there's no rest here. We look forward and keep going.'
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Carlton president declares Michael Voss safe for remainder of 2025, but won't guarantee next season
Carlton president Rob Priestley won't guarantee Michael Voss will see out his contract, declaring the AFL club will make a "calm and rational" decision on the coach's future over the next two months. Voss, who is contracted for 2026, has been under an intense blowtorch as the Blues (6-9) have all but fallen out of finals contention this season. Incoming CEO Graham Wright will have a significant say over the 49-year-old's position, with his official takeover from current boss Brian Cook brought forward to August 15. "Vossy is contracted until the end of 26 — that doesn't change," Priestley told reporters after Carlton's training session on Monday. "I think what we're trying to do here is really focus on the next eight weeks (and) get ourselves into the very best possible position addressing things we need to address. "Then that gets us into the end of the season where we can — in a really calm and measured way — make decisions if we need to make them then. Carlton has faced growing discontent from a passionate and frustrated supporter base, which has been starved of success since the club's most recent premiership in 1995. Fans had entered this season full of hope that the flag drought might be about to end, following consecutive finals appearances in Voss's second and third seasons at the helm. But a 50-point loss to Port Adelaide last round brought tension to a head, with Carlton's Princes Park headquarters sprayed with graffiti calling for the club's board and key figures Brad Lloyd and Nick Austin to be sacked. The graffiti message showed support for Voss and also demanded a decision from ruck star Tom De Koning, who is weighing up his playing future amid a huge offer from St Kilda. "There's no doubt all Carlton people are disappointed in where we're up to," Priestley said. "The season hasn't panned out, so far, as we would like. There's no doubt about that and we can't shy away from that. "But the really important thing is we're focused on the next eight weeks and provide all the right support to our footy department — to our playing group, to our coaching group — to really maximise what we can get out of the next eight weeks moving into the off-season." Former Collingwood and Hawthorn administrator Wright has already attended meetings at Carlton and will take over from Cook before the end of the home-and-away season. A decision on the Blues' coaching position will be high on Wright's agenda. "We brought Graham in as a football CEO, and that's what we wanted," Priestley said. "We really want to utilise his expertise, his skills, his experience, to work with our footy department at the moment, and really support them through the coming weeks. "We just wanted to make sure we had that time in August 15 to be able to do that. That's the main reasoning for the timing there." Priestley said De Koning's future will be decided "at the right point in time" as the Saints attempt to lure the 25-year-old gun away. "We've got the right people focused on that," he said. "He loves the club, we love him, so we definitely want him to stay. "But we can't rush that. We've just got to let that play out." AAP
News.com.au
30-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Carlton president Rob Priestley says coach Michael Voss won't be sacked
Under-siege Carlton coach Michael Voss's position has been locked in for the rest of the season by club president Rob Priestley before the situation is addressed in a 'really calm and measured way'. The Blues are in free fall after a horror loss to Port Adelaide last Thursday resulted in upset fans spraying graffiti on the walls outside the club's headquarters calling for the board to be sacked. Finals hopes appear dashed and clashes against ladder leaders Collingwood and reigning premiers Brisbane over the next two rounds could heap more pain on both Voss and the club. The Blues have moved to fast-track incoming chief executive Graham Wright's shift into the top job, and he will now take the reins on August 15 instead of the October scheduled handover. But in a move to take the heat off Voss, Priestley confirmed the coach, who is contracted until the end of 2026, would remain in charge for now. 'Voss is contracted until the end of 2026 – that doesn't change,' Priestley said on Monday. 'There's no doubt all Carlton people are disappointed in where we're up to – the season hasn't panned out so far as we'd like, there's no doubt about that and we can't shy away from that. 'The really important thing is we're focused on the next eight weeks and provide all the right support to our footy department, our playing group, our coaching group to really maximise what we can get out of the next eight weeks moving into the off-season.' Priestley said a post-season assessment would take place because that's what 'all good organisations do'. 'In terms of assessing what they're up to, what gaps they might have, and as a collective working through that and making decisions we need to make in a calm and reasonable way,' he said. AFL great and former coach Nathan Buckley declared the Blues look 'rudderless' at times having slipped to 11th on the ladder with a 6-9 win-loss record. 'It looks like there is no clear direction, isn't that understandable when you look at the questions on the coach's tenure, the expectations of the season compared to the way the season has panned out, the performance of the talented players, and the inconsistency?' Buckley said on SEN. 'There are so many questions at Carlton, and rightfully so, because their performances haven't supported the talent they have on their list. But, as we know, at the top level of footy, it's not as much about the talent you have on the list as much as it is about getting the most out of what you have available, and that's not necessarily when things are going your way. 'It's how you are going to get in the trenches and get your hands dirty and come together when the going gets tough. 'Carlton haven't done that well enough or often enough.'
