Carlton caretaker to make coaching call this week

Oliver Caffrey | August 2, 2026

Josh Fraser will likely enter the process to select Carlton’s full-time coach in coming days, conceding the time has arrived to make a call on his future.

After a stunning 76-point demolition of reigning premiers Brisbane, Fraser’s record as caretaker Blues coach stands at 9-2.

The former Collingwood and Gold Coast ruckman has Carlton on the cusp of reaching the wildcard round, something that seemed wildly unlikely when Michael Voss left the club after a 1-9 start to 2026.

Carlton will finish this weekend in 10th with three rounds remaining, ahead of games against St Kilda, Gold Coast and Fremantle.

Win two of those matches and Fraser will have taken Carlton to the finals.

After declaring he had no interest in applying to be Carlton’s full-time coach, Fraser will almost certainly go into the process that is already underway, led by chief executive Graham Wright.

The 44-year-old has gone from repeatedly refusing to entertain the prospect to hinting he will put his hand up.

“This week I’ll come to a decision,” Fraser said after the extraordinary smashing of the Lions.

“My aim at the start of this was to help the club move forward. 

“I feel like in this process, I’m learning so much about myself. 

“I’m almost convinced that you’re never a finished product in terms of being ready. 

“But I’m open-minded how I keep getting better with this and make a decision soon.”

Interviews have already started at Ikon Park, with St Kilda assistant Corey Enright and Fremantle’s Jaymie Graham touted as frontrunners among the candidates to have met with Blues hierarchy.

But on-field results are speaking for themselves, with long-suffering Carlton supporters delighting in an unexpected run that has included beating both of last year’s grand finalists.

When he went onto the field after the game so the Robert Walls Medal for best-on-ground could be presented to Blues sensation Jagga Smith, Fraser was given a rockstar welcome by Carlton fans.

Most Carlton players also embraced Fraser as he made his way to the huddle.

The Blues have been cautious over hiring a caretaker coach given David Teague only lasted two full seasons when he was appointed following a successful interim stint.

But Teague’s record in 2019 was only 6-5 and Carlton still missed the finals by five games and significant percentage.

An impressive part of Carlton’s mauling of the Lions was their young stars stepping up.

Smith, Harry Dean, Lachie Cowan and Talor Byrne all led the charge, while dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps had a quiet night by his lofty standards in his 250th match.

“We’re at a stage where we don’t need him to be our best player each week,” Fraser said of Cripps.

“Not to say that he’s not going to have games where he’s influential. and he’s had those games for us (recently). 

“But part of where we’re going in terms of leaving his club in a better place is making sure that other players assume responsibility, and ‘Crippa’ doesn’t feel like he has to do everything.”