Coach Michael Voss of disgruntled Carlton argues that while he is happy of his team’s “adapting and overcoming” this season, there is “no better experience” for a young squad than the agony of being eliminated late in a finals series.
The Blues’ remarkable season-ending run came to an end on Saturday night as they lost to the Brisbane Lions by 16 points in a fiercely contested preliminary final at the Gabba.
After Round 13, Voss’ team was ranked fifteenth on the ladder. They subsequently won nine straight matches to go to the finals and then pulled off thrilling victories against Sydney and Melbourne to advance to a preliminary final.
After the game, Voss said when asked if he thought Carlton had used up all of its gas tickets: “No, not at all. We’ll endure the disappointment together.
“I would have likely given an entirely different response if you had asked me this question 14 weeks ago. However, we experienced that truly collective transition as a group as the season progressed and as our form came together. The previous several weeks have just confirmed in our thoughts that we could actually compete against the top teams in the league.
We came here with the intention of doing this task, but we’ve failed. Extremely disappointed, we say. We arrived here believing that our best would enough. Brisbane deserves praise for rebounding after the first quarter. They are a team that has likely had more experience with similar possibilities than we have, and they were able to stabilise, correct, and change the course of the game.
“We’re sharing all these wonderful experiences, and we’ve had many wonderful times when we’ve discovered a lot about ourselves. I’ve talked a lot about adapting and overcoming, and as a football club, we have done just that. It has been extremely interesting to observe how that has developed during the year.
“That’s why I’m reluctant to tell my own narrative since I believe that our tale speaks for itself. There is no better experience than experiencing the hurt, being close to receiving an opportunity, and having that opportunity taken away from you, regardless of the tale I tell or the experience I can offer.
“What I hope it turns into is that we’re a hungry football club and a hungry football team, and we want to figure at this point of the season more frequently to give ourselves that chance,” said the team’s manager.
The first five goals of the game were scored by the Blues, who blitzed the Lions early on Saturday night. But an experienced Brisbane team found its rhythm after the first quarter, scoring eight goals to one throughout the second and third periods to secure the victory.
Voss praised his team for a “extraordinarily impressive start” that created a “electric” atmosphere at the Gabba, but regretted that his team was unable to continue the same level of focus on the game and polish with the ball in hand after the first quarter.
two-time All-Australian While Blues supporters would be inconsolable, David King stated they should also be excited about their team’s potential in 2023.
“Carlton were courageous; they had a great start. I’m sorry to see them close the year this way, but they’ve had a great year and they’ll undoubtedly improve on it, King said to Fox Footy following the game.
You simply want your football team to make you proud, and I believe all Carlton supporters would be happy of the team’s efforts both in the second part of the season and once more tonight.
Midway through the season, it appeared shaky, but it is now firmly in place thanks to a fantastic programme and outstanding on- and off-the-field leadership.
You have the impression that this is the Carlton that we were familiar with 20 years ago. They appeared better than they have in a very long time.
After qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in 23 seasons, the Blues aren’t anticipated to be very busy during the next trade market.
Voss, though, insisted that his club’s list management staff would not be passive.
