Carlton are set to call a press conference for Tuesday to confirm that interim head coach Josh Fraser will lead the team through to the end of 2029.
Fraser's caretaker tenure has been one of the fairytale stories of the 2026 season, with the 44-year-old stepping up when Michael Voss resigned in mid-May after losing eight of his first nine games of the campaign.
The Blues were languishing near the bottom of the ladder after some remarkable fourth quarter fadeouts from winning positions against Melbourne, North Melbourne and Collingwood.
The coaching staff had also been embroiled in a saga in which their duty of care to player Elijah Hollands was brought into question when Hollands engaged in some erratic on-field behaviour during a loss to the Pies.
The club was fined $75,000 by the AFL for their handling of the incident and Voss passionately and angrily defended his staff just three weeks before his eventual resignation.
Stepping into a disastrous season with a 'nothing to lose' mindset, a relaxed and laidback Fraser immediately brought a calmer and happier environment to Ikon Park whilst dramatically improving their defensive 50.
Key to their resurgence has been a clear change in mindset in the fourth quarter from shrinking when the pressure is on, whether self-inflicted or otherwise, to confidently rising to the challenge.
Narrow wins over both Essendon and Geelong in Fraser's opening month was the change in fortunes the team desperately needed, and a three goals to nought final term against the Giants immediately after saw them never look back.
Ten wins from 13 games under Fraser has the team now preparing for just their third finals campaign in 13 seasons.
The former Collingwood and Gold Coast player had publicly expressed no desire in the full-time position right up until last week, following jubilant scenes that had some Carlton supporters chanting "We want Fraser!" in response to their booming 44-point win over fellow mid-table club St Kilda.
That forced the board to initiate a formal search that included fellow former players Daniel Giansiracusa, Corey Enright and James Kelly.
“I’m as excited about this group as a lot of our Carlton supporters would be," Fraser said last week when he officially entered the fray.
According to sources with knowledge of the recruiting process, the Carlton board met on Monday to rubber stamp Fraser's appointment.
Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn.
