Carlton Football Club coach Michael Voss has reaffirmed his stance on the team’s past cultural challenges while addressing a leaked, unfiltered analysis from former captain Sam Docherty. Speaking to media on Tuesday, Voss characterized the incident as another manifestation of the cultural issues he had previously identified within the club.
Voss referenced his speech at last year’s best and fairest awards where he notably stated the Blues carried a ‘heaviness’ from having ‘culturally defeated ourselves’ throughout the season. The coach drew direct parallels between that assessment and Docherty’s recent leaked comments.
The controversy emerged when Docherty’s private conversation with friend and podcast host Dan Gorringe was broadcast without his knowledge. In the recording, the former captain critically described how Carlton’s gameplay deteriorates into chaos when they lose control during matches. Gorringe has since accepted responsibility for airing the private comments.
Voss revealed he hadn’t devoted significant attention to the leaked analysis, instead focusing on distinguishing between ‘the old and the new’ at Carlton. The coach emphasized his commitment to moving forward with current players, stating he wouldn’t contact Docherty to avoid further distraction.
‘For us to have a productive conversation, I think we all need to know we’re not going to get mixed between the old and the new,’ Voss told reporters. ‘We’re new and that’s the way we’re going forward.’
The Blues face additional challenges entering round 1, including defensive restructuring following Adam Saad’s hamstring injury. Voss indicated either Lachie Cowan or Matt Carroll would fill the defensive vacancy as Carlton seeks to rebound from their Opening Round defeat to Sydney.