Why Josh Fraser’s coaching audition is a case of deja Blue

May 15, 2026 — 11:06am

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Josh Fraser made a blue in his first public utterance as Carlton’s interim coach. He had his days mixed up.

“It’s been a big week, and Monday was a big day for the club,” Fraser said regarding Michael Voss’ resignation as coach on Tuesday.

As far as missteps go, this one did not matter. Reporters knew what Fraser meant. His players could learn a lesson. It’s OK to make a mistake.

Carlton’s inability to shake off the weight of consequence is a primary reason why Fraser, and not Voss, is now at the helm.

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Skipper Patrick Cripps would be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu – or perhaps deja blue. Fraser will be the Blues captain’s third caretaker coach. Cripps has seen more interims than finals victories.

With the season shot and the hard decision on the coach made – or made for them – the Blues can turn the next three months into extensive research and development. It helps that Fraser does not want the top job, even though he aspires to be a senior coach in time.

“I’m ambitious, and I want to be a senior coach at some point, I guess,” Fraser said.

“As we stand here right now, I probably don’t think I’m quite ready, but what this opportunity does give me is a chance to jump in the driver’s seat, learn a lot about myself, and hopefully at the end of it be better placed.

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“I think right now I’m focused on how we collectively move this club forward. This is not my job. I’m an interim coach, but I’ve got a job to do, and that is help the club over the next 14 weeks be better placed.”

Central to that will be teaching his charges how to win again. The Blues have led at half-time in six of their nine games, for one rendition of the song. They have pushed the Brisbane Lions and Fremantle.

The Blues have lost matches in a hurry, on a weekly occurrence from the 12 goals in a quarter on opening night against Sydney to the eight in 20 minutes against St Kilda that ultimately made up Voss’ mind. A similar affliction cost Voss’ predecessor, David Teague, his job as well.

“We haven’t been consistent enough over four quarters,” Fraser said. “We acknowledge that, and there’s some scenarios and some momentum swings that we need to manage a lot better than what we have, but we’ll take a really considered approach to how we evolve the way we play, and what that looks like from a system perspective, and also a personnel perspective.”

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Fraser is in a better position than John Barker, who, after Mick Malthouse’s departure in 2015, inherited a list that was about to undergo one of the most savage rebuilds in the draft era.

In Barker’s second match, Chris Judd wrecked his knee and did not play again. Matthew Kreuzer played 13 games, Bryce Gibbs 10, and his key forward Lachie Henderson was banished after telling the club he would not re-sign. Fraser’s Blues have close to a clean bill of health.

Barker, now working in finance and insurance, does not watch as much football as he once did but knows a bottom-four list when he sees one. For him, the Blues are not that.

“I don’t think it’s a 1-8 list,” Barker said.

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“Whether he likes it or not, it’d be an audition of sorts for future opportunities. Then it’s about his balance between what the club wants. Do we want to see the younger guys play, and what is best for the team in ensuring they remain strongly competitive?

“And showing we can play four quarters and second halves. There’d be a bit in that. There’s a psychology that’s amiss in the way they play. His ability to show he’s taken ground in that space will be important.”

By the very nature of being an interim, Fraser has the mandate for change. He is blooding a debutant this week in Jack Ison, the Blues’ first academy graduate to play senior football.

More changes will be needed to freshen up a team that last week fielded seven players 30 or older. Youngsters like Flynn Young and Ben Camporeale, both among the 20 players coming out of contract, are pushing for promotion after strong form in the VFL.

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“We’ve got players that are in form, which is pleasing, and that’s something that we’ll continue to push around our selection integrity, making sure that players are in form at both levels, and then off the back of that, we can consider what changes we make,” Fraser said.

“But again, it’s important that, particularly for younger players, that we’re zeroing in on areas of their game they need to improve and grow, and that’s how the process we’ll go through now.”

Fraser also has the balancing act of building a winning environment while conscious of the Blues’ need to get young gun Cody Walker through the door.

“I don’t think they’re exclusive,” Fraser said. “I think we can grow and evolve the program still with a mindset to turning up game day and competing to win four points, I think that’s our responsibility.”

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Andrew Wu writes on cricket and AFL for The Age.Connect via X or email.

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