Staunch Michael Voss backer and Brisbane Lions boss Malcolm Holmes says the AFL club’s coach and most decorated player would not be subjected to weekly updates on his future.
Voss and the club he steered to three successive titles a decade ago have put contract talks on hold until the end of the season when Holmes and his board will make a decision on whether to extend his tenure.
Voss and Holmes agree the NAB Cup winners’ 2-3 start to the season hasn’t been ideal, especially with a nightmarish stretch of games approaching starting with Sunday’s daunting away assignment against reigning premiers Sydney.
Brisbane took some of the heat off Voss last weekend with a predictable win against easybeats Melbourne.
But unless they pluck an upset out of the air in a few of their upcoming games against the quality of West Coast, Essendon, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle and Geelong, their season could be shot and the knives sharpened for Voss.
“We knew that with our fixtures when it came out,” said Holmes of the club’s nasty draw.
“We knew there was going to be a tough period in the middle of the season.
“You need to look at it in its entirety.
“We’re very supportive of Vossy. He’s the coach of our side. We’ll leave the decision to the end of the year and let him focus on winning football games.”
Defender Daniel Merrett was more interested in the job of keeping Sydney’s attack quiet than speculation about his coach’s job.
But he stepped up and admitted the playing group owned responsibility for the club’s mixed early season form.
“That (Voss’s position as coach) is for you guys to speculate about,” he said.
“We’re here to do a job. He’s our coach and what has let us down is our performances as players, just being quite off at times and not putting a consistent effort in. We stay out of it.”
Brisbane should welcome 34 year-old midfielder Simon Black back from injury after two games for the club’s reserves in the NEAFL.
The 2002 Brownlow Medallist showed form and fitness in the seconds’ last-start 32-point win over Gold Coast in Mackay, tallying 24 disposals, six tackles, five clearances, and one goal.
