Why the Voss call is easier for Carlton than the Goodwin call for Melbourne

Carlton have not delivered on market expectations, not least their own, and have a raft of vexing decisions to make at season’s end.

Melbourne, too, have failed their 2025 examination – the baring of souls in pre-season and truth telling has not brought redemption on the field – and have a number of imminent changes in the wind.

Carlton’s coach, Michael Voss, has a contract for 2026, but the potential financial cost is unlikely to shape the decision on whether he endures.

Traditionally, payouts have never deterred the Blues from culling coaches. History will not weigh on Graham Wright’s call, though. His eyes will be trained on the road ahead, not the rear vision mirror.

Melbourne’s coach, Simon Goodwin, also has a contract for 2026, and while the Demons are less flush for cash than the Blues, they, as reported in this masthead, are of a mind to make a football rather than fiscal call. Goodwin’s $1 million shield, thus, will not save him if the Demons’ board thinks his time is up.

A few other parallels between Carlton and Melbourne: The Blues and Dees have uncertainty in key football roles, not simply the coaches, with their football department heads (Brad Lloyd and Alan Richardson) under pressure to retain their positions.

They have had muscular game styles and personnel – strong in the contest and defence when they’re at their best – but have been caught by a competition that has hurtled towards outside speed and ball use.

Max Holmes and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera are the prototypes, rather than Patrick Cripps and Clayton Oliver, as the Demons were reminded so painfully eight days ago.

They have gun players who’ve either flirted with the idea of leaving (Charlie Curnow) or made plain their unhappiness and wish to get out (Christian Petracca). In Oliver’s case, it was the club that first raised the prospect of trading him, only to baulk when he was ready to join Geelong; it is a non-deal that the Demons should regret.

Despite the shared problems and superficially similar situations, there’s a clear difference in the nature of the coach calls that Carlton and Melbourne confront.

Carlton are in a better position to judge Voss – and to remove him, if that’s deemed necessary – even though he’s only in his fourth season with the Blues.

How so?

The Blues have had their new CEO in the building for the entire 2025 season, even though Wright has been the understudy – the dauphin, if you like – to exiting chief executive Brian Cook.

Their president, Rob Priestley, assumed the role early this year ahead of schedule following the scandal that saw off his predecessor Luke Sayers. Priestley, the chairman of J.P. Morgan, had been tapped as Sayers’ successor for some time, and is more than familiar with the football department’s workings and worries.

The Demons, conversely, have had only an interim CEO this year, David Chippindall, and the new CEO Paul Guerra won’t be installed until next month. The presidency, too, is in transition. Brad Green holds the role now, but is slated to hand over to a former player (and lawyer) from an earlier generation, ex-MCC chairman Steven Smith, later this year.

Carlton’s shot callers – Wright, in particular – have had a front-row seat to observe Voss during 2025. Further, Wright’s had a full season to assess the playing list, list management, high performance and culture. Oh, and a detailed understanding of their salary cap and contracts (another unfortunate parallel – the Blues and Dees have paid a huge amount to stars, and have accordingly tight player payments).

Guerra, when he arrives, will be on a steeper learning curve than health ministers during COVID. Unlike Wright, he is not a football expert, and will have to defer to the judgment of others, such as Smith, Green and ex-All Blacks manager Darren Shand, who did the recent review of the Demons’ football operations.

Carlton have the more stable leadership. Their CEO, board and president have been in place and should know the score.

This column is not venturing a view on whether Voss should be sacked. Not now. The point is that the Blues have a better vantage to judge their coach’s suitability than Melbourne, despite Goodwin’s nine years in the job.

It is debatable which of these coaches has encountered more turbulence, if you count matters such as supporter unrest (Goodwin grateful for added security at Marvel Stadium on Saturday), and frenzied media intrusion – Carlton, as the bigger prey, will always draw heavier fire.

Goodwin, however, has had more obstacles in his path when factoring in board instability, the questions over player behaviour – dating back to the Entrecote dust-up and peaking around the drug suspension of Joel Smith – and the separate but equally damaging circuses around Petracca and Oliver.

Did Goodwin’s methods or management contribute to these problems that made his coaching life difficult after 2022? Possibly. But there were also factors outside his domain, which made it harder to have a singular focus on coaching.

Goodwin appeared to have done enough mid-season, on the back of a victory at the Gabba, to hold his position next year, as I suggested. Results since, “have not necessarily been to [his] advantage”, to borrow from the Japanese emperor Hirohito’s surrender speech. The Demons have gone south.

Voss’ curse has been injury, both in 2024 and this year. This must be considered when judgment day comes. The Wright call, however, will be predicated on whether the coach has the right stuff for 2026 and beyond.

Most crucial to Carlton and Melbourne’s self-examinations will be their understanding of their position – ie, if they are undertaking mini-rebuilds or refreshing of their lists (the Demons have put their toe in those waters already), or if either believe they can re-jig, find some mature players from rivals and scale the mountain quickly.

The Blues are committed to father-son Harry Dean and to Andrew Walker’s gun son Cody, and will regain Jagga Smith, a top-three pick in 2024, over the next two post-seasons. This necessarily gives them signposts for the future. How quickly can those kids come on alongside Curnow, Jacob Weitering and Sam Walsh?

Knowing precisely where you’re situated in the premiership cycle is paramount. Once you’re sorted on that front, the calls on players, coaches and recruiting follow.

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