A New Beginning for Carlton
Josh Fraser made a notable slip in his first public statement as Carlton’s interim coach. He mixed up the days, but it was a minor misstep that didn’t detract from the significance of the moment. “It’s been a big week, and Monday was a big day for the club,” Fraser said, reflecting on Michael Voss’ resignation as coach on Tuesday.
This small mistake was overlooked by reporters, who understood what Fraser meant. His players could also learn from it—making mistakes is part of the process. The Blues’ inability to handle pressure has led to this change in leadership, with Fraser now at the helm instead of Voss.
A Captain’s Perspective
Carlton’s skipper, Patrick Cripps, might feel a sense of deja vu—or perhaps deja blue. Fraser will be the Blues’ third caretaker coach in Cripps’ tenure. Cripps has experienced more interims than finals victories, which speaks volumes about the team’s challenges.
With the season already looking bleak and the decision on the coach made, the Blues can use the next three months as a period of research and development. Fraser is not aiming for the top job, but he aspires to be a senior coach eventually.
“I’m ambitious, and I want to be a senior coach at some point, I guess,” Fraser said. “As we stand here right now, I probably don’t think I’m quite ready, but what this opportunity does give me is a chance to jump in the driver’s seat, learn a lot about myself, and hopefully at the end of it be better placed.”
He emphasized that his focus is on moving the club forward over the next 14 weeks. “This is not my job. I’m an interim coach, but I’ve got a job to do, and that is help the club over the next 14 weeks be better placed.”
Learning from Past Mistakes
Central to Fraser’s approach is teaching the team how to win again. The Blues have led at half-time in six of their nine games, showing promise against teams like the Brisbane Lions and Fremantle. However, they often lose matches quickly, with instances such as 12 goals in a quarter against Sydney and eight in 20 minutes against St Kilda contributing to Voss’ decision to step down.
“We haven’t been consistent enough over four quarters,” Fraser said. “We acknowledge that, and there’s some scenarios and some momentum swings that we need to manage a lot better than what we have, but we’ll take a really considered approach to how we evolve the way we play, and what that looks like from a system perspective, and also a personnel perspective.”
Fraser is in a better position than John Barker, who took over after Mick Malthouse’s departure in 2015. Barker inherited a team undergoing a significant rebuild, and his early struggles included injuries to key players like Chris Judd and Lachie Henderson. In contrast, Fraser’s team is relatively healthy.
A Fresh Start
Barker, now working in finance and insurance, doesn’t watch as much football as he once did, but he recognizes the potential in the current Blues squad. “I don’t think it’s a 1-8 list,” he said. “Whether he likes it or not, it’d be an audition of sorts for future opportunities. Then it’s about his balance between what the club wants. Do we want to see the younger guys play, and what is best for the team in ensuring they remain strongly competitive?”
Fraser has the mandate to make changes, including introducing debutant Jack Ison, the Blues’ first academy graduate to play senior football. More changes are expected to rejuvenate a team that last week fielded seven players aged 30 or older. Youngsters like Flynn Young and Ben Camporeale, both coming out of contract, are pushing for promotion after strong performances in the VFL.
“We’ve got players that are in form, which is pleasing, and that’s something that we’ll continue to push around our selection integrity, making sure that players are in form at both levels, and then off the back of that, we can consider what changes we make,” Fraser said.
Balancing Growth and Performance
Fraser also faces the challenge of building a winning environment while ensuring young talent like Cody Walker gets the necessary exposure. “I don’t think they’re exclusive,” Fraser said. “I think we can grow and evolve the program still with a mindset to turning up game day and competing to win four points, I think that’s our responsibility.”
