Carlton Blues coach Michael Voss remains upbeat despite another loss, this time to the Adelaide Crows to open Gather Round at Adelaide Oval
Adelaide: Michael Voss insists Carlton is close. The evidence increasingly suggests otherwise.
The Blues’ now-familiar pattern – a violent opening leading to a gradual, inevitable fade – resurfaced on Thursday night when they fell to a strong Adelaide team to open the fourth iteration of the Gather Round.
It was an improved performance, but this is coming from a low base. Voss said after the match that his team was approaching success. But time is slowly running out in 1-4.
In a fixture that the AFL has increasingly positioned as a showcase moment early in the season, Carlton held their own at the start. They scored seven goals in the first quarter – their most prolific opening period since mid-2024 – and briefly marked an impressive performance.
Instead it became another case study in inconsistency.
From then on, the Blues only managed to score five goals for the rest of the night; Ball movement stopped as Adelaide’s pressure and method took over. Especially the 10-minute extra time in the second period was decisive.
“We couldn’t get our hands on the ball,” Voss said.
“We lost territory due to the stoppage and they made us pay for it when they turned 50. That’s where the game was lost.”
Josh Rachele was the original architect of the damage. The lively forward scored three goals in the first quarter to make it four on the night and finished the match with 26 disposals in a performance that combined energy with ruthless efficiency.
The contest took a further turn in the third quarter as heavy rain pounded the ground, sending thousands of fans scrambling for cover and conditions becoming treacherous. But even amidst the chaos, Adelaide’s system remained intact.
Carlton’s undermanned defense – missing pillars Jacob Weitering and Harry Dean – was repeatedly exposed as the Crows established a consistent forward half superiority.
Scores from stoppages (a statistic in which the Blues clearly lead the league) also dried up, not unlike the weather.
In the first quarter, the Blues scored 5.4 of their 7.4 points without stopping. They then scored two points without stopping for the rest of the game.
And yet, inexplicably, the Blues were hanging around.
They were just three goals behind 17 minutes into the final term and came even closer when Ollie Hollands was gifted a goal from an incredible 50-metre penalty.
But the scoreboard never quite corresponded to reality.
Carlton have never built a convincing run into the contest and while the margin may dampen external noise, more general questions about their inability to sustain performance over four quarters continue to loom.
But Voss is adamant his side are not far off.
“I don’t think so,” he said when asked whether the Blues’ current win-loss ratio accurately reflects the start of the season.
“What you want to see is whether you’re getting closer to how you want to play, and we are.
“I cannot question the effort and spirit. We were 86 people.” [87] will try tonight. “There are indications that we are getting closer.”
This belief that Carlton are on top has been a consistent theme throughout the opening month. But they sit uneasily with a 1-4 record and repeated mistakes that continue to cost them games.
Voss pointed to disruptions during work stoppages, poor tackling discipline, and the “fundamentals” as the difference due to the inability to defend 50 repeated entries.
“When we lost territory we didn’t defend it long enough,” he said. “They got points from their entries very often.”
According to him, there were signs of individual development. Sam Walsh was electric early on, collecting 15 disposals in the opening term before Adelaide looked closer, with Mitch McGovern’s shift forward again looking promising.
However, the most striking comment after the match was made by Carlton forward Harry McKay.
Voss said McKay could consider himself unlucky not to have received more support from the judges despite competing strongly in the aerial events.
“I thought Harry competed really hard,” Voss said.
“He might have been a little luckier in some competitions.
“I’ll look back and take a look, but I think it could have been a little more supported.”
The comments add another layer to Carlton’s ongoing challenge at 50: not just supply but also reward.
For all Voss’s optimism, the disconnect remains stark. Carlton can produce football that is sharp enough to overwhelm their opponents instantly, but they are not yet consistent enough to control games.
Even the coach admits that the gap between winning and losing is now narrowing.
“The difference right now is very small,” he said. “You come here every week hoping it will work.”
That moment has still not come for Carlton.
Voss is confident of bringing back Weitering (who will train on Friday) and Dean for next Thursday night’s game against arch-rivals Collingwood.
The Blues will then embark on an ill-fated trip to Perth to take on Fremantle, followed by matches against St Kilda, the Brisbane Lions and the Western Bulldogs.
Things may get worse before they get better.
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Sam McClure is an award-winning AFL journalist and broadcaster.Connect with: X or email.
