Craig McRae has backed Hayden Skipworth for a senior AFL coaching job as Carlton begins its search for Michael Voss's replacement, saying the Collingwood assistant is ready for the top role. McRae said Wednesday that Skipworth has built a strong case through years of work under him and in earlier roles across the competition.
McRae said Skipworth's strategy is strong, his people management is strong, and the way he owns a room shows how well organised he is. He added that Skipworth is always improving and travels to better himself, before saying, "Basically what I see, 'Skip' would be ready."
The comments land at a moment when Carlton has just begun the formal work of replacing Voss, who stood down this week after four years in charge of the Blues. Carlton CEO Graham Wright has said he wants to go through a formal process to find the club's next coach, with experienced names and assistants both expected to be considered.
Skipworth has been McRae's top assistant over the past few years and has often taken charge during Collingwood's pre-season games. He was part of the staff that helped drive the Magpies to the 2023 AFL premiership, and his coaching path has already taken him through the VFL as well as two serious senior-job auditions.
He was in the running for the West Coast job in 2024 before it went to Andrew McQualter, and last year he interviewed for the Melbourne job after Simon Goodwin's departure. Those near-misses have only added to the view that he is close to a breakthrough, even if a senior opening has not yet arrived.
McRae said he also reached out to Voss by text after the Carlton coach's exit, a gesture shaped by a relationship that goes back to their playing days together at the Brisbane Lions in the early 2000s. "I was as happy as you can be that he walks away with his dignity," McRae said of Voss, calling him "such a respectful guy" and "a legend of our game" while adding, "As a friend, I just know how capable he is and I'll try to be there for him."
Carlton's list of possible options is already forming, with premiership-winning coaches Adam Simpson, John Longmire and Paul Roos among the names being discussed, alongside experienced figures Ken Hinkley and Nathan Buckley. The Blues may look at either a coach with senior AFL experience or an assistant coach, a path that has worked before for clubs willing to back a less proven name.
Geelong assistant Steven King won the Melbourne Demons job after his time in the coaches' box, while Dean Cox moved from assistant work with the Swans to the senior role at Sydney. Carlton must now decide whether it wants the safety of a seasoned head coach or the upside of another assistant ready to take the step McRae says Skipworth has already earned.
