There are plenty of talking points after Round 9 of the AFL, including whether the Blues' list is up to scratch for a new coach after Michael Voss stepped down, and if Mother's Day footy should be scrapped entirely.
Let's get to this week's overreactions column, where we judge the biggest takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
Whoever coaches Carlton next year has a finals-ready list
Carlton coach Michael Voss stepped down from his role after five years in the job on Tuesday. It comes after a disastrous 1-8 start to the 2026 season.
The Blues gave up five half-time leads in the first nine games of the year, with their solitary win coming against Richmond in Round 1, who very nearly overran them as well.
Carlton is entrenched in the bottom four after more than a third of the season, but with a list featuring a dual Brownlow medallist (Patrick Cripps), a Coleman Medal winner (Harry McKay), and six All-Australians (Cripps, McKay, Jacob Weitering, Sam Walsh, Nick Haynes, and Adam Saad), are they still primed to contend in 2027 with a new coach, a fresh game plan, and renewed motivation?
Verdict: Not an overreaction
There are a few things at play here, so let's break them down.
Game style: Under Voss, the Blues played a contested brand of footy, relying on stoppages and their bullocking midfielders to extract the ball and move it forward. But the AFL landscape has changed; scoring from turnover and fast ball movement through handball metres gained is how teams are winning in 2026, and Carlton's stodgy mids have been made to look slow and unproductive.
Not only that, but rule changes have resulted in Voss' style going out of fashion quickly. The 6-6-6 ensured faster extraction from centre bounce was prioritised, and zippier types like Zak Butters became more valuable in the middle. Then, the lasso rule and stricter interpretations of holding the ball have drastically reduced the number of stoppages in play, which hasn't played into Voss' strengths at all.
A fresh coach, with fresh ideas, and a penchant for ball movement and playing to the strengths of the rules, as they currently sit, could change the club's fortunes quicker than one might think.
Motivation: It can't be undersold just how demoralising losing the same way, using the same gameplan, can be. A fresh coach brings new ideas, new ways to motivate a playing group, and a positive outlook that things can get better. For a team which has the mental scars of losing multiple games from winnable positions, the players can almost wipe the slate clean -- new era, new mental state.
The list: Now and into the future (looking at Cody Walker), the Blues aren't in as bad shape as people will have you believe. Multiple award winners and leaders with plenty of footy left to give, young talent like Jagga Smith, Harry Dean, Matt Carroll, and Walker to come, and role players aplenty like Ben Ainsworth, Will Hayward, and Ollie Hollands, this is not a bottom four list on paper. While it might not be a premiership contender right away, the upside is enormous for an incoming coach, who will have the magnets to play with.
-- Matt Walsh
The AFL needs to ditch playing footy on Mother's Day altogether
Mother's Day has always been a bit of a barren day for good footy crowds, and this year was no exception.
The Demons hosted the Eagles at Marvel Stadium at 1:10pm, which closed not only the roof, but the entire third deck. According to Footywire, just 16,650 people turned up despite Melbourne's form exceeding expectation, and the fun style of play. Later, at 3:15pm, the Tigers played the Crows in front of just 22,123, their lowest MCG home crowd in two years.
So, should the AFL just bite the bullet and give Mother's Day a miss altogether?
Verdict: Overreaction
It would be a ballsy move from the league. How would it work? Overlapping games on Thursday and Friday night? Followed by a full slate of five on Saturday? Well, maybe it could work...
But the issue this time around was the fixturing. Not only did you schedule the Demons at Marvel Stadium, it was against a bottom-four side whose fans don't travel in massive numbers, AND it started at the worst time for a Mother's Day match. Fans would miss it if they schedule either breakfast, brunch, or lunch. At least the 3:15pm slot allows for a morning with mum.
Maybe it's just one game on Mother's Day. The flagship free-to-air slot at 3:15pm AEST, and with a decent (successful) side hosting. Five games on Saturday (as is often done), one Thursday night, and two on Friday -- seeing as though the AFL is keen to keep them.
-- Matt Walsh