The pressure is building on Michael Voss as Harry McKay’s yips reached epidemic levels and Carlton lost its sixth game in seven weeks. Here’s what the Blues coach had to say.
McKay booted a set shot out on the full and finished 0.3 in a loss to the Swans at the SCG on Friday night in another forgettable outing this season.
The 2021 Coleman Medalist has struggled in 2023 and booted just 14 goals in 11 games.
“Nobody works on his game more than H… right now he’s in a rough spot with his finish and we’ll throw our arms around him and support him,” Voss said.
“He’ll constantly try and work through this period of time in his footy and ultimately down the track he’ll learn a lot about himself and what the ultimate technique he wants to go with but he’s obviously in a tough spot at the moment.
“We’ll look at all things to try and help that but also it speaks to the larger efficiency we need to build in our game.”
Harry McKay booted a set shot out on the full and finished 0.3 against the Swans. Picture: Mark Kolbe/AFL Photos
McKay, 25, wasn’t alone as the Blues’ failure to convert cost them dearly in the 11.11 (77) to 6.15 (51) defeat.
“It’s pretty disappointing to be in this situation where you feel like you’ve had lots of chances,” Voss said.
“I loved aspects of our game we played tonight, it was more us than anytime throughout this year, but there are some simple things in the game that we need to make sure we get better at and that’s finishing.
“In this particular instance it has ultimately cost us the win.
“We had our chances, the two biggest factors in the game were our shots on goal, couldn’t finish… and we lost a bit of personnel late so that obviously stretched us.
“You can work your way through that, but if you put some scoreboard pressure on, that puts you in a better position to ask some questions of the opposition, but we weren’t able to do that.
“We certainly feel like we got plenty of opportunities. You get 59 chances inside 50… on the opportunities we got we just weren’t efficient enough.
“It’s certainly not the best version of us, it’s a part of our game that we need to get to work on and get to work on pretty quick.
“We’ll have to have a look at our (goalkicking) method and how we’re going about it. It’s certainly not though lack of practice, it’s been a constant presence for us right throughout pre-season and the early part of the year.
“We can’t ignore it, we need to get after it, it’s an area of our game where we’ve got to get better.”
The Blues walk off the SCG on Friday night. Picture: Mark Kolbe/AFL Photos
The defeat was amplified with injuries to Patrick Cripps (ankle), George Hewett (concussion), Nic Newman (hamstring) and Ollie Hollands (collarbone).
“(Cripps) jammed up his ankle and with a few minutes left in the game it really wasn’t worth pushing through,” Voss said.
The Blues coach was unsure on the severity of the injuries and said all will be assessed on Monday.
Pressure mounts on Voss after Blues’ injury-riddled horror show
Carlton’s finals hopes are teetering and Patrick Cripps looked to be in serious pain.
Just when Carlton fans thought it couldn’t get any worse, it was a disastrous Friday night for the Blues at the SCG.
Not only are their finals chances right on the brink after a fourth straight loss, and fifth in six games, after going down by 26-points to the Swans, but the Blues interchange bench resembled a casualty ward by full time.
Michael Voss’ side lost George Hewett to concussion in the second quarter.
They then had Nic Newman ruled out of the game through a hamstring injury and young gun Ollie Hollands with a shoulder/collarbone issue in the fourth quarter as they tried to mount an unsuccessful comeback.
And then as the Swans put their foot down on the throats of the hapless Blues, skipper and reigning Brownlow Medallist Patrick Cripps was left seriously hobbling after his ankle was stepped on and looked to have potentially twisted it.
George Hewett was subbed out early in the game. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos
Cripps was in pain late in the final quarter too. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos
After it got significant attention, he did return but was hobbling and the Blues will be sweating on the status of their skipper going forward.
But Carlton can’t be blaming injuries.
After it was the defence last time out against Collingwood, it was the offence and ball skills that hurt the Blues against the Swans on Friday night as the problems and pressure continued to pile up on Voss and his team.
Before the game, he spoke of how important the first quarter would be against the Swans, and the first seven to eight minutes were positive by the Blues.
But after that, it was a hard watch with Carlton largely dysfunctional.
The Swans found their way into the match and tore the Blues apart when they went forward through the corridor.
And even though they were missing seven key position players, Carlton’s highly touted key forward duo of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay couldn’t score against Sydney’s seriously undersized backline.
Curnow had 1.3 while McKay’s set-shot woes continued with some horror misses in his 0.3 with both drop punts and a snap letting him down.
The pressure is on Carlton coach Michael Voss, left. Picture: Phil Hillyard
But it wasn’t just the Blues offence that was a hard watch, their kicking skills in general had Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall bemused at half-time.
“I can’t deal with this honestly,” he said on Fox Footy.
“If I was a Carlton coach or supporter… I have no hair to pull out. The inability to do something decent with the football.
“Their kicking skills from the moment this game started, and it is not just this week it has been consistent throughout the year.
“Their inability to hit targets, their inability to kick to the advantage of their teammates, inability to make good decisions with the ball in hand.
“It is mind boggling, it is that bad it is hard to watch.”
Despite this, the margin was six points in the Swans favour at half-time but the Blues poor kicking continued to hurt them.
In the third quarter, they had 14 kicks inside 50 but just one mark as a result.
And in the fourth they could only watch on as the Swans breathed some new life into their season, and Voss’ side was left to wonder how and if it can do the same.
AFL: Jason Dunstall went off on Carlton’s kicking efforts after missing opportunities in the first half against the Swans.
Swans Will Hayward and Lance Franklin celebrate the win. Picture: Mark Kolbe/AFL Photos
BUDDY QUIET AS HISTORY BECKONS
Lance Franklin has been kept goalless for the fourth time in his eight games this season, which includes three of the past four weeks.
Franklin endured a sluggish start to 2023 before he looked to have found form with three goals against North Melbourne last week.
But it proved another quiet night for the veteran who is almost certainly in the final season of his decorated career.
The 36-year-old is averaging just 1.25 goals per game this season, well down on his career average of 3.03 per game.
Franklin needed one goal against Carlton to leapfrog Doug Wade into outright fourth on the AFL/VFL all-time goals list.
A roar went up every time Franklin touched the ball but he couldn’t deliver the elusive 1058th goal the Swans faithful were desperate to see.
Franklin, who has played 349 games, is 196 goals off Jason Dunstall (1254) who sits in third behind Gordon Coventry (1299) and Tony Lockett (1360).
Tom Papley challenges Patrick Cripps and the Blues on Saturday night. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos
DE KONING FIRES BACK INTO FORM
The talented Tom de Koning returned for Blues at the expense of Jack Silvagni and delivered a solid performance in his first AFL game since being dropped a month ago.
The ruck-forward took a strong pack mark late in the first quarter and booted the goal to put his side within three points at the first break.
“Such a talked about footballer and that’s how you keep people quiet, mark and goal, nicely done,” James Brayshaw said in commentary.
De Koning took another strong mark in the second quarter beating three Swans defenders and then hit Charlie Curnow inside 50.
“That’s a massive win, he was three on one, contested mark down the line, really good stuff,” Matthew Richardson said.
The 23-year-old is one of the most sought-after players set to hit the market and has been linked to the Swans and Saints.
De Koning has been called the next $1 million player but speculation is rife he’ll leave Ikon Park at the end of the season.
MISS OF THE SEASON CONTENDER
Carlton forward Matt Owies produced arguably the worst miss of the season, with a howler in the first quarter.
Owies had a set shot 40 metres from goal in the right pocket, but he sprayed it so far off the side of his boot that it ended 15 rows into the stands and nowhere near the sticks.
Brian Taylor was left stunned in the commentary box and declared “he wasn’t far off missing the ball”.
“What happened there?” James Brayshaw said.
“I don’t know, did he get it too far outside the body? I’d love to see that on replay, that was a complete muff,” Taylor responded.
Owies was quiet for the rest of the night, while teammate Harry McKay also endured a forgettable night off the boot with two shocking set shots of his own.
SCOREBOARD
SWANS 4.1 6.2 8.8 11.11 77
BLUES 3.4 4.8 6.12 6.15 51
GOALS
Swans: McLean 2, Wicks 2, Warner 2, McInerney 2, Gulden, Papley, Hayward
Blues: Motlop 2, Cottrell, de Koning, Walsh, C Curnow
36,310 at the SCG
INJURIES
Swans: Nil
Blues: Hewett (concussion), Newman (hamstring), Hollands (shoulder), Cripps (ankle)
VOTES
3 Nick Blakey (Swans)
2 Chad Warner (Swans)
1 Sam Walsh (Blues)