The race to fill Carlton Football Club’s vacant senior head coaching position is officially underway, with a mix of experienced and first-time candidates emerging as potential contenders for the role. The opening came earlier this week when incumbent coach Michael Voss stepped down from his post following the conclusion of the league’s ninth round, triggering immediate speculation around who will take over the Blues’ program.
One of the most high-profile names linked to the vacancy is 59-year-old Ken Hinkley, the recently departed Port Adelaide senior coach who brings more than a decade of top-tier AFL head coaching experience to the table. When asked directly about his interest in taking over Carlton, Hinkley declined to give a definitive yes or no answer, saying he needs more context about the role and the club’s expectations before committing to any position.
“I’m not prepared to go black or white on this,” Hinkley told sports broadcaster SEN, echoing his earlier remarks. “Any coach would jump at the chance to lead a club like Carlton, but there’s a lot more work to do before I could make a decision. You have to align with the views of the people in charge, understand the selection criteria, and make sure it’s the right fit for both sides.”
Hinkley, who already has personal connections to Carlton through assistant coach Travis Boak and general manager Chris Davies, also shifted focus to another seasoned candidate: former Sydney Swans head coach John Longmire. Noting that most industry pundits expect Carlton to appoint a first-time head coach for a long-term rebuild, Hinkley argued that Longmire would be an exceptional fit to steady the club’s culture.
“I’d be shocked if Carlton doesn’t have deep, serious conversations with John Longmire,” Hinkley said. “He’s built that kind of stable, winning culture at Sydney for years, and that’s exactly what he would bring here.”
Hinkley and Longmire are not the only experienced candidates in the running, with former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley and ex-West Coast coach Adam Simpson also named as potential contenders. Alongside the established coaches, a group of first-time candidates who currently serve as assistant coaches at top clubs are also in contention for the role.
These untried candidates include Carlton’s own interim coach Josh Fraser, Carlton assistant Ashley Hansen, Hawthorn assistant Daniel Giansiracusa, and Collingwood assistant Hayden Skipworth. On Wednesday, Collingwood senior head coach Craig McRae publicly threw his support behind Skipworth, arguing that the long-time assistant is as prepared as any first-time candidate could be for the top job.
“Hayden’s strategic mind is elite, his people management is outstanding, he commands a room naturally, and he’s incredibly organized and always hungry to improve,” McRae said. “He’s constantly seeking out better methods, even traveling to learn new approaches to the game. Of course you can never be 100% ready for a senior head coaching role until you’ve done it, but based on everything I’ve seen, Hayden is as ready as he could possibly be.”
As Carlton’s selection panel begins its search for Voss’s replacement, the club is weighing the choice between bringing on a proven, experienced mentor to steady the program or handing the reins to a fresh, first-time coach to lead a long-term rebuild. The process is expected to unfold over the coming weeks as candidates are interviewed and the club narrows down its shortlist.