EARLIER in the week, Ash Hansen spoke about the "Shakespeare irony" that came with him stepping in and making his senior coaching debut against the Western Bulldogs: the team he had spent nine years at.

Come the end of Thursday night, Hansen and a makeshift coaching box had enjoyed a gripping 12-point win over a team which he admitted he has the greatest respect for.

The Blues were challenged, but come the end of the contest, they emerged from the game with their second victory in as many games in 2022.

Here's what he said on last night's win.

On Michael Voss:

“The boys had him on FaceTime in the rooms and he got a rousing reception when he was giving the two thumbs up from the couch. I think he’s both a relieved and very happy Senior Coach.”

On his temperament throughout the game:

“I was pretty composed. I’d been so focussed in the lead-up to ensure the boys were ready to play, and that any distractions that potentially could’ve been used weren’t going to. The support I had from the football department, in Brad Lloyd and ‘Vossy’, was outstanding.”

On the impact of the Club’s staff:

“All the support staff that were around us during the week that did that little bit extra to make sure we were really well prepared, that came to the fore tonight.” 

On the coaching box dynamic:

“‘Vossy’ gave a lot of trust in the group to lead tonight. He had ears on the box and generally at the breaks he gave us a bit of feedback on what we saw. He was listening in, so he would say ‘yep, I completely agree, go do it’. 

“A couple of times the line was breaking up and he was getting a bit frustrated that he couldn’t hear anything that was going on. He put full trust in us, it was a great experience to work with the other guys tonight.”

On the message when the Dogs fought back:

“Stay composed and stay true to our style. It was a fantastic opportunity to continue to embed our identity and how we want to play. There’s no better test than when you’re playing a really good side like the Dogs. 

“In those hard games, there are going to be momentum swings. What our guys are starting to learn is how to stand up and navigate those to maintain the dominance or the ascendancy that we had in the first half.”

On his relationship with the opposition:

“I wasn’t shy in showing the respect I have for the playing group of the Bulldogs, and they know they’re a Grand Final team from last year. 

“We were going to be challenged, and in different ways, because ‘Bevo’ does evolve and throw things around. It was about holding our nerve, seeing what was happening and staying true to our style.”

On 2022 expectations:

“Carlton fans want to see a competitive side every week. That’s what we’re trying to build. We’re realistic that it’s only Round 2 but we’re starting to see some really good growth and embedding some really good behaviours in the group. It’ll hopefully carry us forward throughout the season.”

On scoreboard validation:

“It’s a mini-milestone any time you put back-to-back wins together. It’s still so early in the season and we’ve still got so much growth, we’re certainly not getting carried away. That’s the exciting part from a coaching perspective, what we can still see we can improve on. 

“For the players to believe in the system they’re adhering to and what they’re doing for one another on the football field and translating to wins, it solidifies that. It’s really important. At the end of the day, you can tell players they’re playing really well, but it’s the scoreboard that is the greatest nourishment. Two wins is a good start, but we want to continue to build.”

On the players’ ability to manage the week:

“As a football club, we’re so proud of the players for the way they got on with it. Even with the news yesterday that Cerra was going to be out, it wasn’t ideal and it was late, but they focussed and embraced ‘Fogs’ coming in. It was great growth and shows a sign of the maturity and resilience we want to build.”