NOT good enough. 

That was Carlton Senior Coach Michael Voss's message for the media following their disappointing clash with Collingwood on Thursday night, where his side didn't couldn't the pressure from the Pies. 

On a wet MCG under lights in front of more than 80 000 people, Voss laments his side's second-half fade out and admits there will be some honest conversations had among players, coaches and staff ahead of their Gather Round trip.

Here's what he had to say. 

On expecting a second-half fade out: 

"Coming into half-time, we were pretty clear on what we needed to get done. The way we played in the first half gave us encouragement to suggest we could continue it — there were certainly no signs to suggest that we would drop. But ultimately, the third quarter was unacceptable."

On a disappointing third quarter: 

"We talk about the game and styles, but the reality is that it's played in the contest first — and we were absolutely disappointing in that area in the third quarter.

"We lost territory, we couldn’t get ball flow, it was hard to defend the way we wanted to. The ball would come out, we’d lose the contest, and it would go back in. We’d reset at the stoppage, but they were cleaner, tougher around the ball. They dialed up the pressure, and we didn’t handle it."

On the mental toughness of the group: 

"I tend to focus on behaviours - what I want to see in terms of actions - and there’s a standard that supports that. There’s an expectation, and we want to play in a way where behaviours consistently match that expectation.

"The fact is, when the pressure comes, we’re not handling it. We have to own that. It puts a target on your back, but we have to step into that."

On the ramifications of the result: 

"When you’re out there, you’re not really thinking about what’s happening next. I understand the bigger picture and how it might ultimately play out, but in the moment, you’re just playing.

"Players aren’t thinking, “What does this mean?” or “Can we get back into the game?” They’re just focusing on the next contest, or on getting to three-quarter time and keeping the scoreboard in check so we can reset. That’s where we need our players — totally present in what we’re doing."

On the standards compared to the previous weeks: 

"It was unusual today because we went away from something we’ve actually been quite strong at, and that’s around the ball. They were cleaner, they brought the pressure, we didn’t handle it, we didn’t step into it. We’ll look at that closely — it won’t be missed, I can tell you that." 

On explaining the fade outs: 

"There are no explanations at the moment. It’s about being clear to be kind, giving direct feedback on how we felt the game played out. The next part is addressing it.

"What are the conversations? What do we need to see? Ultimately, the way forward is accepting what happened. You can’t shy away from it. You have to face it to be able to deal with it and move on and that’s what we’ll do."

On the honest conversations already happening at the Club: 

"To assume those conversations don’t happen would be wrong. Communication is always transparent and clear around form.

"We’ve decided to settle the team to build familiarity. There’s some history to that decision-making — the group hasn’t played a lot together.

"Our back six or seven haven’t had much time together on the field, so giving them the chance to grow is important. Playing in front of 80,000 people in big games early in the season — sometimes you rise to the occasion, sometimes you don’t. That’s coaching." 

On the form of the defenders: 

"If I look at my back six or seven, they were under a barrage. Still, there are plenty of moments in the edits you look at and say, “That’s a great moment.” But collectively, we didn’t stand up.

"A system only works if everyone is in it together. So coaching will come with that. I’m not shying away from those conversations — we have them all the time. Maybe they’ll be even more pointed this week."

On addressing issues immediately post-game: 

"Sometimes after a game, my old coach wouldn’t address the group straight away. Leigh [Matthews] would say, “I just need to separate the emotion a bit. Come in a couple of days later, have a look at it, and then have the conversation.”

"So why didn’t I ask the players for feedback? Because in that moment, I said what I needed to say. It was short and sharp—and now we’ve got to walk away without the win and address it."

On the next steps: 

"The reality is, our system is built on turning up again next week. We play another opposition, and that’s our focus. As for the circumstances - how it’s playing out - I’m more concerned with the standard, to be honest. That’s what I care about right now. We’ve got to address that."

On players doing 'too much': 

"When I talk about 'playing us," it’s about doing your role, backing it in, and executing it no matter the circumstances. That’s part of it: we don’t have to reach too far, just keep playing our system.

"When we’re under pressure, we’ve got a method—but we didn’t go to it. We’ll review all those scenarios, but in that quarter, we didn’t stand up. And where did it start? Around the ball. We couldn’t get territory, and that put the whole team under pressure." 

On how the players will recover: 

"We’ll gather. We will. I’m confident in that. Just because we need to have some honest conversations doesn’t mean there’s a lack of character. We’re really clear on what we value.

"Part of that is being a great teammate. How do you show that when your back’s against the wall? That’s how you stay connected as a team. Clearly, we didn’t do that. The roles that needed to be played in certain moments, we strayed from them." 

On the next steps: 

"We’ve got a few days off now. The guys need to take a rest, you don’t get many opportunities like this during the season. We’ve got a nine-day break heading into Gather Round.

"It’s an important time after a big month, and then we’ll get into training. The guys will regroup on Sunday. We’ll try to get away from the club—not to escape, but to reset. We’re clear on what we have to chase, but we need to make progress quickly. The urgency is real.

On the strength of the Club: 

"I think we collectively own where we are. It’s on us, no doubt. As a football Club, one thing we do really well is support each other. If we see problems, we solve them together. That’s what I know about this club.

"So regardless of what’s said or what’s happening, that’s a strength of this group—and we’ll lean into it this week."