CARLTON has made explicit its preference for a contemporary coach capable of galvanising its young list, with chief executive Greg Swann saying Michael Voss had conducted an impressive first interview and ruling out Kevin Sheedy and Neale Daniher.
A subcommittee of Swann, Stephen Kernahan, Adrian Gleeson and Steven Icke began the process of choosing a replacement for sacked coach Denis Pagan when it met Voss while he was in Melbourne for media work on Friday.
While Voss is yet to declare that he is ready to coach in 2008, Swann emerged from Friday's meeting convinced the Brisbane Lions' triple-premiership captain would get a senior coaching job somewhere.
Other candidates for the Carlton job include Brett Ratten, who won the immediate support of injured captain Lance Whitnall, Collingwood assistant Guy McKenna and West Coast assistant Peter Sumich, who was over for Friday's match and met with Carlton officials yesterday.
But Swann said former Melbourne mentor Daniher and Sheedy, whose 27-year reign at Windy Hill ends this year, did not fit the Blues' vision.
"We are going down a different path. Probably someone newer, younger," Swann said on 3AW. "We've got a really young list. Depending on what happens at the end of the year, with who stays and who goes, our average age next year will probably end up being about 20.
"Our view is that the relationship with them and the growth of them to take us … back into finals is a process we want to explore with someone not long out of the game.
"I think he (Voss) will coach somewhere. We have spoken to him. We've got to talk to a few other people. We will certainly be talking to Brett Ratten. We have indicated we want to have a look at our list for the rest of the year, which probably puts some pressure on a guy who is looking to forge his own coaching career. But he has put the club ahead of his own interests and he has taken that on."
In an interview on Triple M, Swann suggested he was not worried about Voss' lack of coaching experience. "He's a very capable man, he's a leader, he's an impressive guy and nothing that was said yesterday altered that fact."
Voss, who also has been contacted by Essendon and the Demons, is still debating whether to seek any of the four vacant coaching jobs.
"I guess it was an interview of sorts. They were feeling me out in where I sit. I tried to give them an accurate analysis of where that is and tried to get some feedback of where the Carlton Football Club is at," he said. "I want to be able to get the facts in front of me and then work out from there: Can I do it? Can't I do it? Is now the right time? Is some time later? … If I'm a hundred per cent committed to doing the job, then I'll do it."
President Dick Pratt expressed relief that the difficult business of Pagan's sacking was behind the Blues. After thanking Pagan for his contribution over the past five years, and for the dignified manner of his departure, Pratt said: "Let's celebrate the rebirth of the Blues."
He said Ratten's primary objective would be to pump as much game time as possible into young players but would not tolerate any thought of "tanking" games for early draft picks.
"A prime objective will be to better unify our young players and give them as much game time as possible to fast-track their development in 2008 and beyond," he said.
