Walls pleased Carlton backed Voss but…

CARLTON legend Robert Walls was glad that the Blues stood firm amidst calls for Michael Voss to be sacked mid-season.

Walls was one Carlton figure that backed Voss telling the doubters to “shut up” when the Blues won just one of eight games between rounds five and 13.

Since that statement, the Blues have claimed six straight wins and Walls said the club’s support of Voss shows they’re set up for future success.

“Look, unfortunately, in this football business, there’s always a coach under an extreme heat and at the time it was on Vossy,” Walls told SEN Sportsday.

“I’m just glad that the team’s been able to get going.

“He stood firm, Brian Cook stood firm, Luke Sayers the president stood firm and have a look at what we’ve got.

“You only have to look at recent history with Bomber Thompson and Damien Hardwick and Ken Hinkley.

“It’s so easy to go after a coach after a few losses, and if you stick with them, it just shows that you’re a strong club and I think every chance that you’ll be successful in the future.”

Walls, who coached Carlton to the 1987 premiership, believes Voss will be buoyed with confidence after dragging his side out of their recent slump.

Given Voss has already experienced the ups and downs of being a senior coach at his stint at Brisbane before serving as an assistant at Port Adelaide for much of the last decade, Walls said the 48-year-old is well equipped to handle anything that’ll be thrown at him.

“It certainly has to help him with his confidence because he was thrown into the Brisbane Lions job as senior coach far too early and paid a price for that eventually,” Walls said.

“To his credit, he went to Port Adelaide for seven years and that proves that he was fair dinkum about being a coach, to move his family there and live in Adelaide for seven years.

“Then to go through this downturn, he would have learned a lot from it.

“It would give him confidence his players are playing for him, there’s no doubt.”

While Walls is a backer of Voss, he doesn’t hope the Blues prematurely re-sign him as he already has a contract for the 2024 season.

“Having said that, he’s contracted for next year,” Walls said.

“The last thing I’d want to see is Carlton come out in a month’s time and say, ‘We’re going to extend his contract by another three years’.

“I think clubs do that too quickly. Michael Voss doesn’t want to go anywhere else.

“Let him coach next year out, see how things work out. If the team’s going well and they’re heading in an upward trajectory, well, extend his contract.

“I just think clubs can fall in and out of love too quickly with coaches.”

– LACHLAN GELEIT/ SEN