‘It’s Infuriating’: Michael Voss’ Brutal Acknowledgment Following Yet Another Carlton Collapse

Following Friday night’s match, Carlton’s coach Michael Voss entered the press conference visibly frustrated, upset that his Blues had once more squandered a lead.

“They performed better in the final moments. That’s what genuinely irks me, to be honest,” he remarked.

The Blues faced their sixth defeat of the season after a 16-point loss to the Swans at the SCG.

In all but one of those six losses, Carlton found themselves ahead at either half-time or three-quarter time, only to falter and leave one of Australia’s most passionate fan bases feeling flat.

On Friday, Carlton held a seven-point advantage at the main break and a five-point lead at three-quarter time.

Sydney was especially strong in the final quarter, scoring five goals against Carlton’s two, marking their fourth victory this season and giving their struggling campaign a vital lift.

However, the Swans have some issues of their own to address, with high bumps by Justin McInerney and Joel Amartey pending review by the match assessment officer, and a concussion being monitored for Aaron Francis.

Jack Silvagni passed a head injury test after a knock from McInerney, although the forward is recovering from groin surgery, while Jordan Boyd faces time on the sidelines after a concussion inflicted by Amartey.

“We had the game just where we wanted it, but we couldn’t finish it off,” Voss lamented.

“Rather than being able to execute that consistently, we fell short.

“In the early stages of the game, we applied some solid tactics. We successfully drained the contests when we needed to and managed good ball control and field position.

“But you’ve got to seal the deal, and we weren’t able to do that.

“The results indicate that other teams are finishing stronger. There are certain behaviours we’re not maintaining for long enough, and some of it varies, so it’s not always the same issue. Ultimately, though, the result is unchanged.”

Isaac Heeney had a standout game during the Sir Doug Nicholls Round, amassing 38 possessions (18 contested), along with nine clearances, five inside 50s, and two goals, earning him his third Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal as best on ground.

Chad Warner, who recently extended his contract, also excelled, accumulating 30 possessions (10 contested), covering 630 metres, and scoring two goals.

“I’m not sure what the exact margin was—five or six points at three-quarter time,” Voss noted.

“Before the match, you’d take that and say, ‘Let’s roll with it.’ That was definitely the vibe in the three-quarter time huddle, but when we came out, one team managed to finish their work while they remained close enough on the scoreboard to get the job done.”