Carlton coach Michael Voss thanks the club and fans for their support as he stays for 2026

Michael Voss has described receiving Carlton's assurance he will coach the club next year as "hollow joy".

After a horror season that placed pressure on his job, the Blues have unanimously backed him to lead into the final season of his contract.

A day after a strong statement from Carlton's board, declaring Voss would coach in 2026, he thanked the club and its fans for the support.

"It feels a little bit of hollow joy, in some ways," he said at Princes Park on Friday.

"There's no contentment in how we've found ourselves here.

Voss backed by Blues Photo shows Michael Voss wearing a Carlton Blues polo speaking After a lengthy board meeting on Wednesday, Carlton coach Michael Voss is backed to coach next season, despite the Blues' horror 2025 campaign.

"There's also gratitude and a privilege to be able to continue to lead this football club.

"To be able to attack, not just these last three weeks, but what next season looks like."

Graham Wright, who will officially take over as Carlton chief executive from Brian Cook next week, recommended Voss stay on as coach.

The Blues board unanimously endorsed the former Hawthorn and Collingwood football boss's view.

Wright and Voss have been meeting regularly over recent months to discuss how Carlton can bounce back in 2026.

Six weeks ago, president Robert Priestley guaranteed Voss would coach until the end of the season.

The board met for five hours on Wednesday, with Voss driving out of the headquarters halfway through to a waiting media pack.

"It was like The Truman Show (1998 film) there at one stage," Voss said.

"Man has coffee. Man drives out of [Princes] Park. Man turns up training. Man goes to board meeting.

"That was a bit strange, and that did probably elevate it a bit."

Although Voss is certain to continue, Wright is expected to make significant change around the senior coach.

Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd has been in his role since 2018, there for the dismissals of Brendon Bolton in 2019 and David Teague in 2021.

There was no mention of Lloyd, or any of Carlton's assistant or development coaches in the statement released by the club on Thursday.

"It hasn't been a discussion to this point in time," Voss said when asked if he expected changes.

"There might be discussions around what other people are talking about in that space, but it's not our discussions.

"We anticipate that once we have the right time and some breathing room we'll start to think about it a bit more, but it's not now."

Ahead of a clash with finals-bound Gold Coast at Docklands on Saturday night, the Blues sit 13th with a 7-13 record after beginning the season with premiership aspirations.

"The biggest thing for us right now is to move forward," Voss said.

"It's not so much about the change for us, it's about where we progress.

"There is still plenty to get out of the season, it might not be the outcome we're all after, but there's still things to get out of it."

Malthouse praises Carlton for sticking with Voss

Three-time premiership coach and ABC football analyst Mick Malthouse praised the board's decision in backing Voss.

Malthouse, who coached the Blues between 2013 and 2015 before being sacked by the club, spoke to the ABC Sport Daily podcast and was asked whether Voss was capable of bringing his team to the top.

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"I don't know whether that side's good enough to do that [win a flag]," Malthouse said.

"But I take my hat off to the Carlton board — this is probably one of the very few times in recent history where the Carlton board has stood with their coach. Albeit [after] a long meeting, but that doesn't matter.

"The end result is that they've stuck to what they've contracted him for, and I think they need to be applauded for their strength.

"They were in the finals last year, you don't mysteriously lose your coaching ability. What you do is you lose players, and they lost a lot of players through injury — some of the players didn't come up.

"I'm not 100 per cent sure that their team is a premiership side, so there's no use saying is Michael Voss a premiership coach? Because that's not fair to him if his team's not up to it.

"I think they are probably at best, at best just inside the eight. At worst they are probably where they are now (thirteenth)."

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