Carlton has slumped to an 0-2 start after back-to-back losses, to last year's wooden spoon winner Richmond and Hawthorn, in the opening two rounds.
Coach Michael Voss is once again under the pump to deliver for the Blues; in 2023 his side made a preliminary final after two stirring finals wins, but the club took a step back, falling to the Lions in an elimination final embarrassment in 2024.
While injuries to key players haven't helped, there are doubts surrounding Voss' ability to get the best out of his playing list, so it begs the question: is he still the man to lead Carlton to the promised land? Our writers have it out.
Jake Michaels
It may feel like an overreaction to label Carlton's beginning to season 2025 as an unmitigated disaster, but not when you consider the way in which the last campaign ended.
The Blues aren't just 0-2 this season, they have now lost nine of their past 11 games. Those two wins coming against West Coast and North Melbourne. Such a record is unacceptable for any side, but for one that has had legitimate premierships aspirations for three straight years, it's simply inexcusable. I've always been a great advocate that coaches never deserve the amount of blame placed on their shoulders, but the question of whether Carlton would be better off under a different regime has to at least be asked.
Voss was brought in to take a supremely talented list deep into September and snap what's become one of the league's longest premiership droughts. And aside from an inspired run to that preliminary final in 2023, he, and the Blues, continue to underwhelm.
Sure, injuries have played their part in halting Carlton's progress, but it's not as if the Blues are the only side dealing with health issues on their list. Great sides find a way to overcome injuries, and this Carlton unit, in its present form, is far from 'great'. They cannot play four quarters, cannot run out games, are lacking leg speed and polish on the outside, and do not look close to a premiership threat.
Voss' coaching record at the Blues is only a little above .500, winning 37 games, drawing once, and losing 31 times. Nobody would argue it's a horrific return, it isn't, but is it even a pass for a side that possess not one but TWO Coleman Medal winners, a two-time Brownlow Medal winner, one of the game's best key defenders, and an all-star midfield brigade? Absolutely not.
If Voss can't turn things around in the coming weeks, his tenure at the Blues could soon be coming to an abrupt halt.
Matt Walsh
Hold your horses, everybody. Carlton's loss to Richmond was, let's face it, embarrassing, but it's two weeks into a fresh season. Yes, Jake's points about the past 11 matches are valid, but let's just take a look at what Carlton is doing well.
Defensively, the Blues are more than sound. Aside from some disastrous brain fades against the Tigers (Nick Haynes will want those tapes burned), the Blues have been difficult to score against. At the contest, they're tough.
Let's consider some defensive data. Carlton is the second hardest team to score against from any chain. They're the No. 1 team for restricting opposition ball movement from their defensive 50 to attacking 50. They're No. 2 in the league for restricting opposition scores per inside 50.
And the contest? Carlton's the No. 2 team for pressure applied, No. 3 for post-clearance groundball (so they're getting to the loose footy well), have the fourth-best contested possession differential, and the most forward half intercepts of any team.
The weak point? Attacking and scoring. Carlton is 17th for generating scores per inside 50, a clear indication of thoughtless or poor entries. Their lack of outside polish hurts. But is it any wonder the Blues have struggled given Charlie Curnow is coming off three offseason surgeries and was woefully underdone against the Hawks? What about Harry McKay missing for Round 2? As Jake said, they are both Coleman Medal winers, and that talent doesn't just disappear.
When you consider their overall game, it's just a couple of tweaks which may kickstart their season. And let's face it, they've been unlucky. On the expected scores ladder, the Blues are 2-0 and sitting fifth, having had four posters against the Hawks, and one goal (the very first) overturned due to a push in the goal square.
READ: What is expected scores, and how is your team performing?
I'm sticking with Voss, because he has the data in front of him, and the personnel coming back. Get the forward line functioning, and the Blues will be okay.