In the high-stakes world of the Australian Football League (AFL), success is rarely the product of individual brilliance alone. The cohesive power of teamwork, coupled with collective accountability, stands as the foundation of a club’s achievements. Michael Voss, Senior Coach of the Carlton Football Club, embodies this belief. In a recent in-depth sit-down interview, Voss unpacked the complex dynamics of leadership, team culture, and the shared responsibilities that come with coaching one of the AFL’s most storied teams. His insight, distilled into the phrase “The players aren’t in this on themselves, we take a group accountability. It takes a tribe to be able to win these things,” resonates deeply within the fabric of modern sports leadership.
As a player, Michael Voss was no stranger to success. A triple premiership captain with the Brisbane Lions, Voss understood that individual accolades and personal performances, while valuable, were never enough to carry a team to sustained success. Now, as a senior coach, that philosophy has only deepened. The notion of “group accountability” forms the bedrock of his coaching ethos at Carlton, where he emphasizes the importance of every member of the team being responsible for the success and failures of the club.
“Individual brilliance will always stand out in certain moments,” Voss acknowledges. “But those moments only arise because of the groundwork that’s been laid by the team as a whole. There’s no escape from accountability, whether you’re a senior player or a first-year recruit. We’re all pulling the same rope.”
For Voss, collective accountability is not just a concept confined to the playing group. It extends to the coaching staff, medical team, and club administrators. “The players aren’t in this on themselves,” he says. “If something’s not working, it’s not just on one player to fix it. It’s on all of us. The coaching staff, the leadership group, even the backroom staff. It’s a collective mission.”
At the core of Voss’s coaching philosophy is the idea that success in the AFL is a shared journey. When he refers to the “tribe,” he isn’t just speaking metaphorically. He believes that a football club, much like a tribe, needs to function as a close-knit community where trust, communication, and shared goals are paramount.
“It takes a tribe to win these things,” Voss reiterates. “The bond within the group is what drives teams forward. I’ve seen it during my playing days, and I see it now as a coach. When a team plays for each other, that’s when the magic happens.”
Voss’s challenge at Carlton has been to build this sense of camaraderie and unity within a club that has endured years of ups and downs. Since taking over as head coach, his primary focus has been fostering a culture of selflessness and collaboration. It’s a slow process, but one that he believes is already paying dividends.
“When I first arrived, the talent was there, no question,” he reflects. “But the culture of working together and being accountable to each other was something that needed to be nurtured. Over the last few years, we’ve seen that growth. Players aren’t just playing for themselves; they’re playing for their teammates, for the jumper, for the supporters.”
Voss points to Carlton’s development as evidence of this transformation. “Look at the way we’re moving the ball, the way we defend as a team. That doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of everyone buying into the same vision.”
Central to Voss’s approach is the role of leadership within the team. His belief in group accountability places significant responsibility on the shoulders of the team’s leadership group, players who are expected to set the tone for the rest of the squad.
“Our leaders play a crucial role in enforcing the standards we set,” Voss explains. “They’re the ones who have to model the behaviors we want throughout the team. When they’re holding each other accountable, it becomes second nature for the younger guys to follow.”
This decentralized approach to leadership ensures that responsibility is spread across the entire playing group, rather than resting solely on the coach or a single captain. Voss believes this creates a more resilient team, one that can handle the pressures of the AFL season without collapsing under the weight of expectation.
“I don’t want to be the one constantly setting the standard,” Voss says. “That has to come from within the group. If we have a strong leadership structure, where everyone feels empowered to speak up and hold each other to account, we become a much stronger unit.”
Voss speaks passionately about Carlton’s leadership group, including captain Patrick Cripps, who he believes has evolved into an exemplary figure for the younger players. “Cripps is a warrior on the field, but what makes him stand out is his ability to lead by example off it. His work ethic, his drive – those things permeate through the group.”
Of course, group accountability and a “tribe mentality” don’t come without their challenges. Voss admits that it’s often difficult to implement these values in an era where individual performances are heavily scrutinized, both by media and fans. Players are constantly under the microscope, with their statistics, performances, and decisions dissected in real time.
“One of the hardest things is to get players to focus on the team, rather than just their own output,” Voss acknowledges. “In today’s world, there’s so much pressure to perform individually. But what we keep reinforcing is that individual success will come naturally if the team is functioning well.”
This requires buy-in from the entire playing group, and Voss credits his coaching staff with helping to create an environment where players feel supported, even when they aren’t hitting their personal bests. “We try to make it clear that mistakes are okay, as long as you’re learning from them and contributing to the team’s overall goals.”
Voss points to the importance of resilience in this regard. “You’re not going to win every game. You’re not going to get everything right. But it’s how you respond as a group that matters. That’s where accountability comes in. If we lose, we lose together. If we win, we win together.”
As Carlton continues to progress under Voss’s leadership, there’s a palpable sense of optimism surrounding the club’s future. While the path to premiership success is long and fraught with challenges, Voss remains steadfast in his belief that Carlton’s “tribe mentality” will eventually bear fruit.
“We’re not where we want to be yet,” he admits. “But we’re on the right path. I can see the belief growing within the group. I can see players taking ownership of their roles and understanding the importance of playing for each other.”
As Voss reflects on his journey as a coach, he draws parallels with his playing career, where the success of the Brisbane Lions was built on similar values of trust, unity, and shared responsibility. “It’s no different now,” he says. “The game has evolved, but the principles of team success haven’t changed. It still takes a tribe.”
In the end, Michael Voss’s message is simple yet profound: no player, coach, or staff member can succeed in isolation. Success in the AFL – or in any team sport – is about collective effort, shared accountability, and a commitment to the greater good. It’s this philosophy that Carlton is embracing as they look to the future, knowing that the road ahead is best traveled together.
