Carlton’s hierarchy has laid out an ambitious vision for the club, targeting a top-10 finish and finals appearance in the upcoming season following a period of significant upheaval and a comprehensive reset of the playing list and football department.
In a candid discussion, Carlton Chief Executive Graham Wright and President Rob Priestley addressed the club’s future, including the contract status of senior coach Michael Voss. While Voss is currently in the final year of his contract, the leadership indicated there is no set timeline for a decision on his tenure. Instead, the focus is on observable improvement across all facets of the club’s performance, rather than a specific benchmark for Voss in his fifth year at the helm.
Wright also revealed that the club is on the verge of finalising a three-year list plan. This strategic document is expected to showcase considerable flexibility in the salary cap, a result of key departures including Charlie Curnow, Tom De Koning, and Jack Silvagni. Despite a strong emphasis on developing young talent through the draft, Carlton is actively exploring opportunities to pursue free agents this year.
“You never know how quickly things can turn,” Wright commented, underscoring the club’s optimistic outlook. “But then [we have] not put a ceiling on anything really. But, you know, we hope we’re in the top 10 this year. If we’re not aiming for that, I’m not sure why we’re here. So we’re not sitting back thinking, ‘We’ll be bottom four and that’ll help us’.”
A Holistic Approach to Performance Assessment
The club’s leadership is keen to emphasise a comprehensive assessment of Voss’s performance, moving beyond mere win-loss records. Priestley elaborated on this, stating, “We’re a footy club so we want to win as many games as we can possibly win, but in terms of assessment moving forward, and it’s way too early yet, but we’ve made a lot of change.”
He reiterated the club’s support for Voss, whose contract extends until October 31st. “We’re fully behind Michael, he’s contracted through to 31 October,” Priestley confirmed. “So, it’s, you know, about seeing improvement, and as a club getting better in all those areas that we’re focused on. That’s really what we’re focused on. Hopefully, on the back of that, we win a lot more games than we lose.”
Wright further articulated that the football program’s success is not solely dependent on the senior coach. “It’s not just about one person,” he stated. “There always is a hell of a lot of focus on just the coach, but [it is] how we’re getting better across our culture, leadership environment, everything we’re doing, how we’re getting better.”
He highlighted the collaborative leadership of Voss and new football boss Chris Davies in driving these improvements. “And Michael and CD [new football boss Chris Davies] are the two that are leading that. We’ll have measurements in place along the way, but … we haven’t set anything in stone where we said, ‘We want to be here at round whatever it might be.’ We wanted to make sure Vossy has everything he possibly needs, and that we’re able to support him and be aligned in everything we’re doing on the way through, and we’ve had a regular catch-up.”
Regarding Voss’s assessment, Wright reiterated, “We don’t have a time frame on it … it’s more about what we’re working towards, as opposed to, there’s a set date or anything … there’s a range of things, we want to see improvement across every aspect of the footy department.”
Key Strategic Pillars and Future Directions
In outlining Carlton’s strategic direction, Wright and Priestley also shed light on several other critical areas:
Gaming Operations: The club has no intention of withdrawing from its gaming operations. Multiple discussions have taken place with club gaming partner and benefactor, Bruce Mathieson Sr.
“There’s no plans at the moment to change,” Priestley confirmed regarding the gaming operations, which have been a significant revenue generator for the club in partnership with Mathieson. “We’ve done a really good job over the last few years in becoming financially viable and having financial sustainability.” Priestley emphasised that gaming is a vital component of Carlton’s diversified revenue streams, alongside initiatives such as the new medical imaging centre, Carlton College of Sports, and Carlton in Business. “So we talk to them [Mathieson’s gaming group] regularly. I talked to Bruce snr yesterday.”Draft Rule Changes: Carlton, along with Port Adelaide, had vigorously lobbied the AFL to postpone the proposed changes to the father-son and academy bidding process, slated for this year’s draft. The aim was to provide clubs with more “runway” for list management.
Priestley and Wright engaged with AFL executives, including CEO Andrew Dillon and football boss Greg Swann, and Priestley also contacted former AFL Chairman Richard Goyder to present their case. While the AFL plans to proceed with the new rules, which limit clubs to using a maximum of two higher draft picks for father-son or academy recruits, Carlton is set to acquire high-profile prospect Cody Walker through the father-son rule. Wright acknowledged the financial implications, noting that Carlton and Port Adelaide would bear a significantly higher cost than other clubs under the new regulations, especially as they haven’t benefited from the previous rules.Three-Year List Plan: The club’s comprehensive three-year list plan is nearing completion.
“It’ll be a three-year plan,” Wright stated, anticipating that the plan might need to be extended to cover a fourth year after the initial 12 months. “We’ll be adding ’28 [2028] but we’ve had to look forward and say, ‘What does Tassie look like for us?’”
While the Blues have secured high draft picks like Jagga Smith and Harry Dean and will gain Walker, Wright confirmed that free agency remains a key strategy. The club also holds high hopes for emerging talents such as Talor Byrne, Jack Ison, Matt Carroll, and Cooper Lord. “We feel as though we will have scope to enter into free agency,” Wright added. The club acknowledges that the bids for Walker will impact future trade periods, potentially consuming picks like the one acquired for Charlie Curnow from the Swans, complicating trades in 2026.Greg “Diesel” Williams’ Consultancy Role: Club legend and board member Greg “Diesel” Williams will continue his part-time consultancy role within the football department. Priestley confirmed that Williams’ passion for the club’s academy and commercial functions ensures his ongoing involvement, for which he receives a small retainer.
Revamped Game Style and Coaching Staff: Carlton has undergone a significant shift in its game style, introducing new intellectual property under Voss and a revamped coaching team. Chris Davies, formerly of Port Adelaide, joined late last year. The coaching ranks have also seen the additions of Josh Fraser (Collingwood), Leigh Adams (North Melbourne), and Ash Close, replacing Aaron Hamill, Aaron Greaves, and Tom Lonergan. Former Port champion Travis Boak has also joined to bolster player leadership. The club also parted ways with recruiting manager Mick Agresta.
Wright emphasised the need for new intellectual property and improved fundamentals, citing the team’s previous ranking of 17th or 18th for kicking efficiency. “We were 17th or 18th for kicking efficiency last year. But then the way we play is we’ve changed that up to a certain degree with new IP, and Michael’s led that, obviously.”
