Carlton Coach Voss Criticizes Team's Poor Performance Against Collingwood

The Blues must accept whatever comes their way for a 'really poor performance' against the Magpies, coach Michael Voss says. Carlton players look dejected after a loss to Collingwood in round 17, 2025. IN FRONT of more than 75,000 people against its arch-rival at the MCG, Carlton let its fans down, according to coach Michael Voss. A 56-point loss to Collingwood – a margin that ultimately flattered the Blues – came due to poor skill execution and decision making, and was exacerbated by six changes at the selection table during the week.

'We let our club down tonight,' Voss said frankly. 'We want our supporters to be proud of us, and we didn't do that tonight. There's an expectation on the way we want to be able to play, and we didn't do that tonight. So, that's something that we're going to have to sit with. Not going to avoid that conversation, we'll have to cop our whack. We have to cop it because we can't tolerate that. That was a really poor performance.'

After a strong start, whereby the Blues trailed by just one goal at the first break, Collingwood took hold of the game, winning contested footy and turning that into damaging attack. Across the second and third terms, the Pies outscored Carlton 78-24, putting paid to the game. Voss took his leaders aside at three-quarter time to address the freefall, and ultimately won the final quarter by four points.

'It's more about standards. What standards do we accept, and what standards are we accepting from one another right now?' Voss said of the conversation. 'So, what feedback do we actually give to one another and how direct do we need to give it? Because there's a sense of urgency in that moment to be able to correct, and we weren't able to do that, so engaging the leaders was effectively that conversation.'

Unfortunately, it was simply too little, too late for the Blues. 'We got the response, but it's too late… you still want to see actions that show that, you know, what are the winning behaviours that we want to continue to promote at this football club?' Voss said.

For Collingwood coach Craig McRae, the script looks very different. With seven rounds still to play, his side is firmly secured atop the ladder, and there is some selection pressure among his playing group. 'We set a goal at the start of the year to qualify for the finals, and we can officially say that we've got 14 wins… not in our wildest dreams did we ever think that we'd have that at this time of year in such a tight competition,' McRae said.

With some regular contributors out of the side for the match – most notably Steele Sidebottom who missed with illness, and Bobby Hill who has been absent for two weeks due to personal reasons – opportunity has been presented to some emerging players, and others on the way back from long term injury. Mid-season draftee Roan Steele earned his first run at the top level, and Tom Mitchell played his first game in over a year.

'It's a good problem to have … the selection pressure, but the guys coming in and doing their job, that's credit to our development team,' McRae said.

McRae was also complimentary of the club's analysis team, which helped to identify a minor deficiency in its contested marking prowess this year, and helped guide the side to 22 contested marks and pure aerial dominance over Carlton. Each of Isaac Quaynor, Darcy Moore, Brody Mihocek, and Darcy Cameron took three contested marks for the game, while another four Pies took two for the match. It was an area that allowed Collingwood to win, and then maintain control of the ball on the way to an eighth consecutive win.