WITH another test against Geelong on the horizon, AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss is urging his team to stick to the plan which has served the Blues well throughout 2024.
Playing against a star-studded team in the Cats, Voss said that while there are numerous threats with the opposition, the Blues couldn't shy away from bringing their own strengths and continuing to build as a collective.
Here's what he had to say.
On the feeling after the bye:
"They've come back really good, they’re certainly refreshed. I think most clubs would be in the same position when they get to go away and get that rest and recovery that we all need, we get to reset and go again.
"We'll wait until tomorrow to find out whether what we’ve put in place has worked. It’s a little bit about the now and how we recover, but also we have to take the bigger picture in mind so we feel like we’ve spread that load out."
On the approach for games after byes:
"Without knowing the exact record, we feel like we’ve come out of it and bounced really well: not just last year, but how we’ve approached the bye over the last few years, whether that’s been on the eve of the finals or midway through the season.
"We’ve got a formula that works but we take nothing for granted. We still have to make sure that we put in the same effort and are dialled in on the same things: we’re still looking for the same opportunities to grade our game against a really good opponent."
On playing against top eight sides recently:
"I think what we’ve been pretty good at is looking at the opponent in front of us, it has just happened to stack up that way. We don’t reflect too much on it, only to say that we’ve got a good visibility on what the competition looks like: it will be 11 out of 12 weeks that we’ve faced the top 10 teams.
"What also is unique is the amount of people we’re playing in front of. We’ve used those as genuine opportunities to get better and in some ways, that atmosphere is being normalised. We’ve stepped into it and we feel a lot better about going out there and playing those games."
On playing Geelong eight weeks ago:
"There’s a fair bit you can take out of it. There are still some things they’re doing similarly and like all teams, they’re trying to improve in other areas as well. Probably most recently, they’ve had some personnel that was missing that looks like it’s back, for example Dangerfield. We’ve got a few pieces that have changed as well.
"We’re always evolving as a team, but there’s enough to go on to see what they did do in that game and what they brought, but there’s also a body of work they’ve completed over time that we’re a bit more familiar with. We’re asking to be quite balanced in all phases of the game, but in that particular game, we didn’t have a bias towards our defence and the game became quite a shootout.
"That doesn’t mean that the opposition isn’t going to score and that doesn’t mean that we’re not trying to meet that challenge, but it felt like it was too easy to score against us that night. That game and a few others means we’ve had to work harder to be able to correct that and make sure we defend harder for longer, not just make it an offensive transition game."
On David Cuningham and Marc Pittonet's availability:
"They’re available to play, they’ll take their turn in the VFL. It gives an opportunity to build out our depth, we continue to talk about that squad mentality and building that competition at training amongst one another. It is certainly good to have both of them back, I’m sure in time they will find their way into the team."
On Jesse Motlop and Orazio Fantasia:
"They’re all fit and available. In Jesse’s case, he’s had a couple of weeks under his belt, particularly on the weekend his form was really strong and he’s been building his game after missing a large chunk of footy.
"With these guys coming back, we hope it’s creating some internal competition. They’re driving each other really hard and hopefully, it helps us find the best versions of each other. They’ve been supporting each other really well and they’re locked in on the same goal which is making us better."
On Adam Cerra and Jack Martin:
"With them being able to come back and train, they're back out on the track and seeing them there in skills, they're both players that make us better. Hopefully, 'Cez' is available soon and Jack soon after that, it’ll be nice to get them back.
"But we're all eyes in on this one and we’ll try and get this job done first."
On Alex Cincotta's tagging role:
"It’s certainly been something we’ve added to our game that’s been quite useful for us. Where we put that, we’ve had a bias in the midfield. I think we still have that bias within us but we acknowledge that there are some really important players to Geelong that help them execute the way they want to play.
"Certainly [Tom] Stewart is one of those, but they’ve got players in the midfield and up forward that we’ll need to make sure that we take care of. They’re all things to keep in mind but we’ll still come into the game largely focused on how we field our own game and how we get our own game going.
"We know if we have that in shape, we have enough to challenge the other way."
On the Carlton Respects program:
"It’s been significant since I arrived. It’s been a really important platform for us. I think the thing that stands out is the schools program and the education behind it. As a Club, we’ve taken the position that there's a generational change that comes with it, whether it’s online or in person.
"To be able to be out there and take a leadership position on that as a football club, as players, and as leaders within our community, it’s very important for us. It’s an important game for us to raise the funds we need: the aim is to try and generate $250,000, we want to continue to strengthen the program, we want to increase our reach and to do that, we need the support and this is a very important game to do that."
