Carlton are taking a “no limits” approach to next year, as the club aims to raise the bar in Michael Voss’s second season at the helm after their heartbreaking finish to 2022.
In declaring now was the time to go to another level, the Blues coach made clear what the club’s goals were for 2023, even if there was no direct reference to finals or flags in an email sent to club members on Thursday.
Carlton coach Michael Voss is raising the bar for the Blues in 2023.Credit:AFL Photos
The Blues missed the finals in the cruellest manner imaginable, blowing a 25-point lead in the last quarter to lose to arch rival Collingwood by a point on the final day of the home and away season and miss September by 0.6 per cent having sat in the eight for 22 of the 23 rounds.
“This time of year brings with it the obvious question; ‘What is the expectation for next season?’” Voss said.
“For us, the answer is simple – We are not limiting ourselves. We control what we can achieve in 2023. Why put a limit or a label on what the end result might be?”
Emboldened by the arrival of champion Chris Judd, Carlton infamously delivered the slogans “They know we’re coming” and “Can you smell what the Blues are cooking?” for the 2009-10 seasons. They bowed out in the first week of finals in each of those years and ultimately progressed no further than the semis in the Judd era.
Active in previous trade periods, the Blues were quiet this off-season, in a sign of the confidence they have the list capable of attaining their first finals appearance since 2013 and contending to end a premiership drought extending to 1995.
The Blues’ first to fourth year players formally start preseason on Monday but many senior stars are expected to join in, even though they are expected back for another fortnight. Players have already been training in an unofficial capacity at Ikon Park.
Voss said the Blues, who squandered an 8-2 start, would be working to improve their contested game – a strength last season – and their ability to defend when they did not have the ball. The Blues are also aiming for a lift in team cohesion through a reduced injury list.
“We have already taken significant steps in this regard during our first 12 months, which has us well-placed to go to another level in 2023,” Voss said.
“So, as we get set to hit the training track next week and embrace what is ahead of us, we do it with a clear mind, a ‘no limits’ approach, ready to raise all aspects of our football club.”
Voss addressed the painful manner of their exit, in which they lost their final two games of the season by less than a kick.
“The reality is that when it comes to describing last season, we got so much right as a football club, we just didn’t finish the way we wanted,” Voss said.
“That ending hurt. It hurt a lot. And we don’t shy away from that – it is part of the story of what we are building.
“The best part for us though? We control the story from here. We get to dictate what the next chapter looks like for us.
“As a whole, the 2022 season provided us with a strong platform to build on.
“Now, we go to another level.”
Meanwhile, the Blues have signed former Geelong star Tom Lonergan in the newly created role of development and talent manager.
