Carlton have made the surprise decision to stand by Michael Voss and have committed to their embattled coach for the 2026 AFL season.

The club made the announcement on Thursday afternoon, a day after Blues powerbrokers gathered at Ikon Park to discuss Voss’s future and other areas of concern about the Blues’ football program.

While Voss has been assured of his job, there could still be a shake-up at the club with departing Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley linked to a role in the football department.

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Voss — Brisbane’s legendary triple-premiership captain from the early 2000s — has been coaching Carlton since 2022.

He took his team to a pulsating preliminary final (narrowly losing to Brisbane) in 2023, but multiple issues in the following two seasons since have haunted the Blues.

They snuck into finals in 2024 and will be bystanders this year when September starts.

Carlton have only managed seven wins this year with the pressure piling on Voss right from the very start of the season.

In Round 1 the Blues coughed up a 41-point lead and lost to arch-rivals Richmond ... who had been tipped by some to be winless in 2025.

Another three defeats followed and suddenly Carlton was 0-4 with a bad reputation for second-half fade-outs.

The jungle drums seemed to beat louder and louder with every loss, and rumours of Voss’s demise have constantly swirled throughout the nightmare season.

Carlton’s last grand final was in 1999 and the club — one of the most successful in the AFL/VFL with a huge supporter base — has been desperate for success and ruthless on its coaches throughout the 21st century.

Melbourne decided to sack Simon Goodwin on Monday night and many thought Carlton might follow suit, despite the fact Voss had a year remaining on his contract.

But Carlton released a strongly worded statement on Thursday, saying they can “confirm with absolute clarity” that Voss “will remain coach of the Blues into the 2026 AFL season”.

As communicated by the club in June, incoming CEO Graham Wright has been maximising the final eight weeks of the home and away season to work closely with the football department.

The club said the decision “involved clear consultation with players, coaches and staff” which produced “valuable insights into where the AFL program currently sits”, and the necessary steps to move the team forward.

“We were clear following Round 16 that we would utilise these remaining games to make calm, rational and fully informed decisions that will take our football club forward and that is what we will continue to do,” Carlton president Rob Priestley said.

“The first of these has been in relation to our senior coach, which we are now in a position to provide clarity on following last night’s scheduled board meeting.

“Last night, Graham presented a recommendation to the board of directors that Michael remains as our senior coach into next season.

“This recommendation was unanimously endorsed by the board.

“For the last few months Graham and Michael have been meeting regularly, during which time they have been engaged in open and honest dialogue with one another on what is required for us to evolve as a football side.

“Michael’s ability to lead our football club this year in the face of incredible pressure has displayed the attributes of a strong and selfless leader.

“Carlton always comes first for our coach, and Graham and Michael share a clear and aligned view on the opportunities to improve football performance.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that Michael Voss is the coach of the Carlton Football Club and he will remain the coach of the Carlton Football Club.”

On Tuesday fresh vision emerged of an eye-catching meeting in Richmond between Voss and Wright.

Carlton said that the conversations had been going on every week for the past five or six weeks when Priestley said that Carlton would hold off on making a Voss call until the end of the year.

“This is reaching a pointy end,” 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary said on Tuesday night.

“(But) I don’t think it’s a bad sign, is it?”