While we await more trade news, here’s a snippet of footy news you might have missed over the weekend.
Voss’ brutal best-and-fairest speech
Carlton coach Michael Voss has used the club’s best-and-fairest function to make a series of brutal remarks about the Blues’ lack of resilience, internal divisions and cultural issues.
Voss also conceded he “fell short” as a leader during a horror season, and said the Blues “culturally defeated” themselves.
“Right now, we are not a very resilient football club,” Voss said on Sunday night.
“This club is powerful if we choose it to be, but the fight must be out there, not in here.”
Voss has been backed to continue as coach into 2026 – the last year of his existing contract –despite a poor 9-14 record this year which left Carlton well out of the finals picture, and facing a player exodus.
Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni have since left for St Kilda as free agents and contracted star forward Charlie Curnow is agitating for a fresh start elsewhere during the trade period which starts on Monday.
Read more from Shayne Hope here.
AFLW: Tigers upset Adelaide for first win of the season
Richmond’s search for their first win of the season is over after Monique Conti inspired a shock 11-point win over Adelaide.
The Crows had looked poised to condemn the hosts to an eighth-straight defeat after building an 11-point lead before half-time at Ikon Park.
Richmond’s Monique Conti celebrates with Caitlin Greiser and Laura McClelland.Credit: Getty Images
But the Tigers refused to relent and kicked six goals to two in the second half to set up a hard-earned 8.10 (58) to 6.11 (47) win. It was Richmond’s highest score of the season and the second-highest score that the Crows have ever conceded.
Read more in our AFLW blog here.
OPINION: Bailey Smith’s social media post about me was insulting and sexist.
Geelong’s season-long ticking time bomb that has been Bailey Smith finally exploded last Monday for all to see and the fallout is far from finished.
The collateral damage has spread from Patrick Dangerfield, the captain who has worked since late last year to nurture Smith’s talent and protect him from himself, the 2025 club champion Max Holmes, the coach Chris Scott who had again found excuses for him after he abused photographer Alison Wynd and the Cats chief Steve Hocking who has remained silent since the Mad Monday disaster.
Bailey Smith starred on the field for Geelong in 2025, but off the field was another matter.Credit: Stephen Kiprillis
The so-called rock-solid culture at Kardinia Park, long respected and with few peers since Frank Costa and Brian Cook led the club out of the wilderness, looks fragile. The club famous for turning lost boys into premiership players has hit a fork in the road with Smith and seems at a genuine loss to know what to do about him. Ditto the AFL.
Read more of Caroline Wilson’s opinion piece here.