Brisbane Lions chairman Angus Johnson has confidently predicted the club will swiftly unveil a new coach to take them to the AFL’s next level.
Johnson on Wednesday strenuously defended the Lions board’s controversial decision, after an “exhaustive” consultation process, not to renew Michael Voss’s contract with three rounds to play this season.
He felt they needed a fresh approach but admitted Brisbane was now under pressure to land a successful, high-profile mentor to take the reins of an improving playing group.
Johnson said a list of contacted candidates, including the widely-touted Paul Roos, had the credentials to better build on the foundations Voss had set over the past five seasons.
“The football club has a very bright future,” he said. “We’re on the right track and we have been making the right decisions over the last few years and we’re making significant progress.
“Not offering Michael a new contract has been nothing more than requiring a fresh approach and a new approach moving forward.
“We have a list that we are very confident will be playing finals in the future and we will make the right appointment.”
Voss, who had a 40 per cent win record as coach, received a long round of applause from Lions players, officials, and assistant coaches after a 35-minute press conference with Johnson and chief executive Malcolm Holmes.
The Brisbane triple-premiership-winning captain said there was no bad blood between him and the club he loved and was currently unsure whether he would coach on at another club.
But he felt he deserved more time in charge after a mid-season revival that has them 12th on the AFL take with an 8-11 record.
Voss said he had no problem with the timing of the announcement, and expected the decision that came on Tuesday when told the board was meeting that morning.
“As the year’s gone on it’s clear there was a direction that was happening,” he said. “Over the last few weeks the silence has been deafening, I must admit.”
Johnson admitted Brisbane started sounding out potential successors six weeks ago.
While the club had previously said it would make a decision on Voss after the season, the board wanted to tell the 1996 Brownlow Medallist as soon as possible.
“We had a choice: Sit down with Michael in three weeks and pretend everything was fine; or be up front and advise him now,” Johnson said.
The club confirmed former Fremantle coach Mark Harvey would be handed the reins as interim coach, starting with Saturday night’s home match against Greater Western Sydney.
