![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n
Watch every match of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n BLUES MOVING ON VOSS \u2018FEELS INEVITABLE\u2019\u2026 SO WHEN WILL THEY CUT THE CORD?<\/p>\n Carlton has guaranteed that Michael Voss will be coaching in Gather Round.<\/p>\n But a parting of ways now \u201cfeels inevitable\u201d after the team\u2019s horror fade-outs has led to a 1-3 start to the season.<\/p>\n A when, not an if.<\/p>\n Indeed, it feels like this is only heading in one direction for Voss, who came under scrutiny last season but was retained with a year to run on his deal.<\/p>\n There were even rumblings of a Carlton approach to Collingwood premiership coach Craig McRae.<\/p>\n Despite the bleak outlook, it\u2019s rare to see coaches get axed in the first half of half of the season in AFL.<\/p>\n In modern times, the Giants let go Leon Cameron after just nine games in 2022. In 2015, Carlton sacked Michael Voss after only eight rounds.<\/p>\n Meanwhile in 1993, North Melbourne axed Wayne Schimmelbusch after a practice match before the season even officially began.<\/p>\n So when could the Blues pull the trigger on Voss? Hard to recall a coach being under this much pressure this early.<\/p>\n Although he\u2019s at least safe for now. Blues footy boss Chris Davies said after the Good Friday loss to North Melbourne that Voss was \u201cabsolutely safe\u201d ahead of the club\u2019s Gather Round clash with Adelaide next Thursday night.<\/p>\n Voss speaks on fumbling lead v Roos | 09:54<\/p>\n It\u2019s one of three prime time fixtures for Carlton over the next six weeks under the bright lights of Thursday\/Friday night footy as Voss will firmly come under the microscope.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, I think it won\u2019t be long before the CEO Graham Wright begins the search for a new coach of the Carlton Football Club,\u201d chief Herald Sun reporter Jay Clark said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it hasn\u2019t started already, with the rumoured approach of Collingwood coach Craig McRae at the end of last season.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem is I don\u2019t think they can make a serious move in the short term, because it would only undermine the decision they made at the end of last year to keep him.<\/p>\n \u201cRound 14 is their bye after a game against Essendon on King\u2019s Birthday Eve. That will be a great test and give this football club time to pause, reflect, consider and maybe review the football department operations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels like an inevitable situation unfolding around the senior coach.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s been all downhill for Voss\u2019 Blues after quarter-time of the club\u2019s preliminary final loss to Brisbane in 2023.<\/p>\n Now in his fifth season at the helm if Ikon Park, the club\u2019s horror fadeouts in 2026 \u2013 and even last year \u2013 have become damning.<\/p>\n The numbers don\u2019t read well.<\/p>\n Over the 2025 and 2026 seasons, Carlton is +192 first halves and -346 in second halves in point differential.<\/p>\n But for Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt, \u201cthere\u2019s no point sacking a coach after Round 4\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s going to step in? We know Adam Simpson is behind the scenes in a different role,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI would think you\u2019d at least get through to Round 15. Hopefully, for Carlton fans, the wheel can turn and they can see some better performances.\u201d<\/p>\n Weitering suffers brutal head knock | 00:39<\/p>\n Eagles premiership player Will Schofield argued retaining Voss until the mid-season bye is a \u201cwaste of a year of football\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand maybe there isn\u2019t someone to put in straight away \u2026 but if you wait until Round 15 and it continues on and the same pattern goes on, I see that as a bit of a waste,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe same message going to the same players and the same thing happened, it\u2019s insanity, doing the same thing over and over again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a pattern of behaviour now.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now the pressure is on the coach. I think that (moving him on) probably would make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Kangaroos great David King suggested it could be more disrespectful keeping Voss at this point to avoid \u201cthe long goodbye\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be respectful to Michael and respectful to your people. Sometimes respecting them is letting them go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cCutting the cord and not make them live a lie with a long goodbye. There\u2019s nothing worse in footy than the long goodbye. Because everyone knows what\u2019s happening, players aren\u2019t stupid.<\/p>\n \u201cThen it starts to become affordable. When it starts to cost the club money through attendance, that\u2019s when things get real.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that doesn\u2019t help in the short term, you roll on.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as the crowds diminish, you\u2019re in a world of pain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018STARTING TO GROW TIRED\u2019: EAGLES\u2019 \u2018UNACCEPTABLE\u2019 RELAPSE WE THOUGHT THEY HAD CONQUERED<\/p>\n Just when we and the rest of the AFL populace thought West Coast were past being on the receiving end of triple-figure drubbings, on Easter Saturday they nose-dived straight back into an all too familiar territory.<\/p>\n Andrew McQualter\u2019s ultra-young side were knocked off the park by an unforgiving Swans outfit to the tune of 128 points;<\/a> the largest away win by Sydney\/South Melbourne in their 130-year history across the VFL and AFL.<\/p>\n The defeat is a brutal reality check coming off the back of two consecutive wins for the first time since 2024, having already doubled their win count from last year.<\/p>\n To be clear, this is not a suggestion that West Coast aren\u2019t still on an upwards trajectory \u2014 they have already proven they are a better outfit than they were 12 months ago.<\/p>\n But, for context, Saturday night\u2019s loss was their 13th by 15 or more goals since the start of 2021, and eighth by 100 or more points across the same timeframe. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a frustrating relapse that 2018 Eagles premiership defender Will Schofield was unwilling to accept as okay in 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cThe backline wasn\u2019t able to get it done, it means the midfield hasn\u2019t put pressure (on) as required, and it means the forward line hasn\u2019t been efficient,\u201d Schofield told Fox Footy\u2019s Super Saturday Live.<\/p>\n \u201cEarlier in the game, West Coast did have their chances as they went about it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou had to be competitive. What this fan base is starting to grow tired of, is it\u2019s an uncompetitive side. And from what we\u2019ve heard over the pre-season, is they\u2019re going to be competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n McQualter admitted in his post-match press conference<\/a> that they \u201cpotentially\u201d tipped his side\u2019s selection too far in favour of youth on Saturday night, with the Eagles holding claim to the 10 youngest players on-field.<\/p>\n The 10 youngest players on the ground at Optus Stadium on Saturday night \u2014 all of which were playing in West Coast colours.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Throw in the absence of key midfield cog Elliot Yeo (adductor) and new recruit Brandon Starcevich (calf) through injury \u2014 among other players who would make their best 23 \u2014 and they are hamstrung more than most clubs are so early in the season.<\/p>\n \u201cThey win two games the last two weeks, and that\u2019s great, but if you can\u2019t back it up in the third … Look, 128 points \u2014 it\u2019s just not acceptable,\u201d Schofield continued.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can lose by 70 and be respectable because you\u2019re competitive. They were uncompetitive throughout the game and the entire four quarters.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there has to some sort of point, some sort of line that says: \u2018This doesn\u2019t happen\u2019, or we\u2019ll start leaving players out. Maybe they don\u2019t have the list and the depth to do that … in the ruck today, uncompetitive. Through the midfield, uncompetitive.\u201d<\/p>\n Two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King was reluctant to read as much into the monster loss however, noting the main takeaways are less about the margin.<\/p>\n \u201cI think when you\u2019re at this stage of your rebuild and reset, against the top four teams, there are going to be blowouts. Now, 128 is a big margin, but would it have made any difference if it was 80 or 90?\u201d King said.<\/p>\n \u201cI get what you\u2019re saying; the previous two weeks they\u2019ve built a lot of grace and faith with the fan base. I think this one was on the cards early (though).\u201d<\/p>\n McQualter on brutal 128-point loss | 08:42<\/p>\n \u2018BE AGGRESSIVE, BE BRUTAL\u2019: WHY AFL GREAT, PREMIERSHIP EAGLE BELIEVE HARLEY\u2019S ANTICS \u2018CAN\u2019T CONTINUE\u2019<\/p>\n In the middle of West Coast\u2019s Saturday night horror against a rampant Sydney, Harley Reid was the unfortunate sideshow after a James Jordan hard tag that understandably frustrated the 20-year-old.<\/p>\n The 20-year-old was limited to just 17 disposals, one clearance and one tackle, with the Swans nullifier claiming another victim in the negating role.<\/p>\n Rightly or wrongly, it saw Reid the centre of more than one umpiring decision that resulted in opposition goals. That said, his coach Andrew McQualter was quick to defend his actions post-game.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want Harley to give away free kicks, and we talk about that, but the fact he\u2019s trying to stand up for his teammates \u2014 that\u2019s a pretty good trait,\u201d McQualter told journalists post-game.<\/p>\n Two-time North Melbourne premiership player David King was less forgiving of his minor discretions though, one of which carelessly gave away a 50-metre penalty for not giving the ball back to a Sydney player.<\/p>\n \u201cThis may just be the public stance. Behind closed doors it might be completely different. But \u2026 to use a Ross Lyon term, you\u2019ve got to support the person (and) challenge the behaviour. This can\u2019t continue the way that it is,\u201d King said on Fox Footy\u2019s Super Saturday Live.<\/p>\n \u201cTo say: \u2018Oh look he just didn\u2019t give the ball back properly\u2019. He knows exactly what he\u2019s doing. He\u2019s a high-level talent. He\u2019s got to correct this, and it\u2019s on Andrew McQualter to correct this before it becomes a serious problem.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t have rules for one and not the group. You just can\u2019t have it. You\u2019ve got to set a standard that goes across the board.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think it\u2019s dishonest as a coach to say that we\u2019re happy with this, we\u2019re going to support this, without challenging the player. I think he\u2019s got an issue he needs to address.\u201d<\/p>\n Reid\u2019s quieter outing in Round 4 follows a pair of influential performances in the Eagles\u2019 Round 2 and 3 wins \u2014 notably the latter against Port Adelaide.<\/p>\n McQualter admitted that given the ultra-young profile of his side and senior players such as Elliot Yeo being sidelined, it was much harder to act on plans in place to prevent the Tongala product from being completely shut down.<\/p>\n Swans crush Eagles by 128 points | 02:53<\/p>\n \u201cI think you have to come back to the stars. If you want Harley to get to that point, to be that player for this footy club, you can\u2019t accept some of the things he\u2019s doing at the moment. You have to knock the warts off his game,\u201d King continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWe give him his flowers when he plays well like we have the past couple of weeks, but if you watched him closely, these (acts) have to be stamped out of his game.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s only played 43 games, so I\u2019ll give him an out. But by game 60, this stuff needs to be gone, and it\u2019s coming quickly. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not here to smash young players, we\u2019re not \u2014 he\u2019s just getting rolling. But, for him to become a dominant force in this competition, he has to show more maturity and less petulance than he does. <\/p>\n West Coast 2018 premiership player Will Schofield added: \u201cBe aggressive with him, be brutal with him. He will learn and pick it up quickly if you\u2019re brutal. If you tip-toe around it and you don\u2019t hit the issue where it is, then you\u2019re not going to get the best out of him.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘3rd QTR looked like a Richmond game!’ | 10:30<\/p>\n FROM BLOOTHBATH, TO BAN: TIGERS\u2019 RUCK STOCKS HIT BREAKING POINT AFTER SILLY ACT<\/p>\n Sitting at 0-4 to start their season for the first time since 2010, Richmond are facing an uphill battle to rack up their first win of the season.<\/p>\n As they did at times throughout last year, injuries have again cruelled Punt Road, with a number of promising youngsters sidelined \u2014 as well as their captain and key cog in Toby Nankervis.<\/p>\n The 31-year-old has played 21 or more games in three of the last four years, leading his developing and rebuilding side honourably amid a different type of adversity.<\/p>\n So, when Nankervis went down against Gold Coast in Round 2, the alarm bells sounded loudly for Adem Yze\u2019s side. Ruck-forward Samson Ryan himself was still only returning from injury, while former NBL player Ollie Hayes-Brown \u2014 who joined the club as a Category B rookie in September 2023 \u2014 wasn\u2019t initially considered as his replacement.<\/p>\n It left Yze making the brutal call to rely on 195cm key position player Campbell Gray to tackle the lethal duo of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy in Perth the following week.<\/p>\n Needless to say, it was a bloodbath. The Dockers won the hitouts to advantage count 18-1, with the Tigers\u2019 sole one coming from key forward Mykelti Lefau.<\/p>\n Tigers remain winless after Port pumping | 01:47<\/p>\n Fast-forward seven days, and it was Ryan who was called upon for AFL game number 26 to chop out Gray in his solo role. Now in his sixth year on the Tigers\u2019 list, it was a golden chance for the 25-year-old to prove himself a valuable asset.<\/p>\n Yze commended Ryan for his efforts in Richmond\u2019s seven-goal loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday evening,<\/a> but unfortunately, it was his off-the-ball act in the third term<\/a> that has attracted the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n Less than 24 hours after Carlton\u2019s Will Hayward threw a rogue arm to the stomach of North Melbourne young gun George Wardlaw, Ryan did the exact same thing to counterpart Jordon Sweet \u2014 70 metres off the ball.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s really disappointing. He\u2019s a player that\u2019s on the cusp of getting a game, and not getting a game,\u201d Riewoldt said on Fox Footy\u2019s Super Saturday Live.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s been looked at by Richmond as a potential \u2018next-in-line\u2019 to Toby Nankervis. He got his opportunity today, and he\u2019ll sit out next week. It\u2019s completely disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n The Match Review Officer confirmed a one-week ban for the tall on Sunday evening, which the club is not expected to challenge.<\/p>\n 2018 West Coast premiership player Will Schofield added: \u201cWe know these behind-the-ball free kicks are being looked at by the MRO. They want to stamp them out of the game completely … I think one week\u2019s a bit light on.\u201d<\/p>\n His silly act now leaves Yze with little-to-no choice in selecting Hayes-Brown, who, while he played very well in the VFL\u2019s 33-point win over St Kilda on Sunday, is clearly still seen as a developmental product right now.<\/p>\n And quite frankly, Ryan may not be a guarantee to return to the senior side after serving his suspension, despite Nankervis not being expected to overcome his injury for roughly another month.<\/p>\n \u201cEven when he\u2019s ready for selection, I don\u2019t think they\u2019d be in a hurry to rush him back. He\u2019ll pay a price,\u201d David King said.<\/p>\n Three-time premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt finished by saying: \u201cI think it would be sitting in the back of Adem Yze\u2019s mind the next time that he does come up for selection.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After being stuck in \u2018Groundhog Day\u2019 for yet another round of footy, corners of the media are now…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":587778,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[1146,638,9199,2095,8406,64,63,689,55,639,684,4810,287334,77674,3239,78976,13665,287345,10143,1818,68923,287344,287337,18008,287332,38334,287346,287340,667,10124,83254,14414,2485,25532,27237,287338,287336,287330,287342,1823,287328,19125,24301,287347,80128,15626,3257,287348,287341,31770,54911,2041,7204,2067,677,46,75450,24310,6082,4873,126359,82581,17286,86125,8016,162962,701,287335,25886,32913,6858,672,248318,31772,287331,22401,17989,1124,80079,286292,85,1122,287343,287327,54907,2614,660,4899,7067,3439,45705,287329,19121,287333,287339],"class_list":{"0":"post-587777","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-afl","8":"tag-adam-simpson","9":"tag-afl","10":"tag-alarm-bells","11":"tag-america","12":"tag-andrew-mcqualter","13":"tag-au","14":"tag-australia","15":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","16":"tag-australian-football-league","17":"tag-australianfootballleague","18":"tag-ben-cotton","19":"tag-bright-lights","20":"tag-brutal-reality-check","21":"tag-campbell-gray","22":"tag-carlton-blues","23":"tag-chris-davies","24":"tag-club-history","25":"tag-club-money","26":"tag-craig-mcrae","27":"tag-david-king","28":"tag-eagles-coach","29":"tag-eagles-premiership","30":"tag-eagles-premiership-player","31":"tag-elliot-yeo","32":"tag-familiar-territory","33":"tag-fan-base","34":"tag-football-club-time","35":"tag-football-department-operations","36":"tag-footy-club","37":"tag-fremantle-dockers","38":"tag-game-number","39":"tag-george-wardlaw","40":"tag-gold-coast","41":"tag-graham-wright","42":"tag-herald-sun","43":"tag-holding-claim","44":"tag-horror-fade-outs","45":"tag-horror-fadeouts","46":"tag-inevitable-situation","47":"tag-jack-riewoldt","48":"tag-james-jordan","49":"tag-jay-clark","50":"tag-key-position-player","51":"tag-leaving-players","52":"tag-leon-cameron","53":"tag-luke-jackson","54":"tag-michael-voss","55":"tag-midfield-cog","56":"tag-monster-loss","57":"tag-negating-role","58":"tag-night-footy","59":"tag-north-america","60":"tag-north-melbourne-kangaroos","61":"tag-northern-america","62":"tag-oceania","63":"tag-perth","64":"tag-point-differential","65":"tag-point-loss","66":"tag-port-adelaide","67":"tag-post-match-press-conference","68":"tag-practice-match","69":"tag-preliminary-final-loss","70":"tag-premiership-defender","71":"tag-premiership-eagle","72":"tag-premiership-player","73":"tag-prime-time-fixtures","74":"tag-queensland","75":"tag-quieter-outing","76":"tag-rebuilding-side","77":"tag-receiving-end","78":"tag-richmond","79":"tag-richmond-tigers","80":"tag-samson-ryan","81":"tag-sean-darcy","82":"tag-selection-answer","83":"tag-senior-coach","84":"tag-senior-players","85":"tag-south-australia","86":"tag-south-melbourne","87":"tag-spirit-crusher","88":"tag-sports","89":"tag-st-kilda","90":"tag-triple-figure-drubbings","91":"tag-triple-point-loss","92":"tag-umpiring-decision","93":"tag-united-states-of-america","94":"tag-victoria","95":"tag-virginia","96":"tag-west-coast-eagles","97":"tag-western-australia","98":"tag-will-schofield","99":"tag-win-count","100":"tag-young-players","101":"tag-youngest-players","102":"tag-youngest-players-on-field"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=587777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/587777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/587778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=587777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=587777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=587777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}