Michael Voss
Encyclopedia
Michael Voss is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions
Australian Football League
team and a former professional Australian rules football
er.
During his AFL playing career, which was played entirely at Brisbane for the Brisbane Bears
and Brisbane Lions
, he was recognised as one of the greats of league and club and is listed by journalist Mike Sheahan's
as one of the top 50 players of all time. He won the league's most prestigious award, the Brownlow Medal
and was recognised as one of the best players and captains in the league between 2002 and 2003 through six time All-Australian selection including captaincy and winner of the Leigh Matthews Trophy
for the league's most valued player. He captained the Brisbane Lions in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals, yielding three premierships (2001–2003). Additionally, he represented Australia in the 2006 International Rules Series
and the state of Queensland in State of Origin. As a player he was noted for his fearless play, inspirational leadership and the ability to turn a game. Voss has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
.
and lived as a child in Orbost
until the age of 11, when he moved with his family to Beenleigh, south of Brisbane
. His younger brother Brett
also played for the Brisbane Lions before transferring to St Kilda Football Club to enhance his opportunities to play senior football.
Voss' football skills were excellent from an early age, kicking 14 goals for Queensland
in an under-17 representative match in 1992, before eventually winning the Hunter-Harrison Medal for the tournament. The following week he debuted for the Brisbane Bears
against Fitzroy
at Princes Park
in Melbourne, the youngest ever player to play a senior game for the club.
, the game's highest individual honour, with James Hird
.
In 1997 after the Bears merged with Fitzroy to form the Brisbane Lions
and the retirement of long-term Bears captain Roger Merrett
, Voss's leadership abilities were recognised in his promotion to co-captain with teammate Alastair Lynch
at the age of just 21. His early form was patchy as he grew into the role, but by 1999 he was being lauded as one of the best captains in the AFL.
In 1998 he suffered his first major career setback. Contesting a mark at Subiaco Oval in Perth in a match against Fremantle, he collided with Shane Parker and shattered his leg. The subsequent operation was at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and it was a year before he was fit & back in training to play again. Brisbane finished 16th & with a wooden spoon that year with a 5-1-16 record.
was an outstanding example of courage, skill and leadership, only narrowly conceding the Norm Smith Medal
to opposing captain Nathan Buckley
.
looked to play him in the forward line during the latter part of his career. However, a heavy injury toll to the Lions meant that Voss continued his career in the midfield, with Simon Black helping him out & also his new housemate while living in Brisbane.
In 2005, Voss suffered a badly cut hamstring before Round 2 whilst renovating his home. Prior to this, Voss had suffered from tendinitis of the knee and saw a doctor to have an operation & solve the problem. This hamstring injury had an impact on his performances, with the four games after the injury yielding a high possession count of only 16. Voss later improved and in Round 21 picked up a 35 possession haul against Port Adelaide.
Soon after the completion of the 2006 season
, Voss announced his retirement from the AFL after 289 games and 15 years at the Brisbane Bears/Lions, and 3 premierships to his name & found a job for 2 years with Channel 10 in Brisbane, presenting the sport. In 2006, the problems he suffered with knee problems yet again, saw a doctor and caught problems with traffic in Brisbane on his way to the Gabba in what Voss described as his "very old knees". Voss said farewell in what turned out to be his last game, at the Gabba in Round 22 against St Kilda, gathering 34 possessions and 2 Brownlow Medal votes as a struggling Brisbane Lions team went down by 50 points to finals bound St Kilda who won in Brisbane for the first time in a decade. Despite losing badly. The Lions received a long standing ovation from a sold out home crowd after the game for their premiership efforts and farewell to several other players.
Voss was added to the Brisbane Council when he visited them.
AFL commentary team in 2007 in a special comments
role. He was also appointed the role of sports anchor on Ten's 5 o'clock weekday news
in Brisbane.
Voss currently lives in Brisbane with wife Donna and their three children.
In 2011, Voss was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
.
Voss coached Australia's AIS
Under 17 squad to victory against the South African national Australian rules football team
at North West Cricket Stadium
in Potchefstroom, South Africa
.
Voss was often mentioned as a candidate to coach the Melbourne Demons after the resignation of Neale Daniher
. He was also linked to various other coaching positions, most notably Carlton.
Voss was seen by many to be the likely inaugural coach of the Gold Coast
side, but instead signed a two year deal with the West Coast Eagles
as an assistant coach and formally pulled himself out of the Gold Coast
bid.
When Leigh Matthews, coach of the Brisbane Lions, resigned at the end of the 2008 season, Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett gave Voss permission to talk with his former club. The Lions later announced Voss as their new senior coach until the end of 2011.
Voss made his coaching debut in Brisbane's defeat of the West Coast Eagles in round 1, 2009.
Voss's first season as coach could be described as one of exceeding expectations. The rookie coach managed to guide the Brisbane Lions into their first finals campaign since 2004 including a comeback elimination final victory over Carlton after trailing by 30 points early in the fourth quarter.
However, what followed were two seasons of disappointment at the club. After the club won its first four matches to be sitting on top of the ladder in early season 2010, the Lions would only win three more games to finish 13th (out of 16) on the ladder. Season 2011 brought in an even worse low – the Lions finishing 15th (out of 17 teams) in season 2011, its worst placing since 1998 when it won the wooden spoon.
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
team and a former professional Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er.
During his AFL playing career, which was played entirely at Brisbane for the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
and Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
, he was recognised as one of the greats of league and club and is listed by journalist Mike Sheahan's
Mike Sheahan
Michael "Mike" Sheahan is an Australian journalist who specialises in Australian rules football. He is Chief Football Writer and Associate Sports Editor for the Herald Sun, a panelist on the Fox Sports program "On the Couch" and former Media Director for the VFL .Sheahan attended Werribee High...
as one of the top 50 players of all time. He won the league's most prestigious award, the Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
and was recognised as one of the best players and captains in the league between 2002 and 2003 through six time All-Australian selection including captaincy and winner of the Leigh Matthews Trophy
Leigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was still known as the Victorian Football League...
for the league's most valued player. He captained the Brisbane Lions in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals, yielding three premierships (2001–2003). Additionally, he represented Australia in the 2006 International Rules Series
2006 International Rules series
The 2006 International Rules series is the 9th annual International Rules Series and the 15th time that a test series of international rules football has been played between Ireland and Australia....
and the state of Queensland in State of Origin. As a player he was noted for his fearless play, inspirational leadership and the ability to turn a game. Voss has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
.
Early life and career
He was born in Traralgon, VictoriaTraralgon, Victoria
Traralgon is a regional city located in the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Traralgon is a city within the City of Latrobe....
and lived as a child in Orbost
Orbost, Victoria
Orbost is a town in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, located east of Melbourne and south of Canberra where the Princes Highway crosses the Snowy River. It is about from the town of Marlo on the coast of Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Orbost had a population of 2452...
until the age of 11, when he moved with his family to Beenleigh, south of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. His younger brother Brett
Brett Voss
Brett Charles Voss is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Brisbane Lions and the St Kilda Football Club.He was drafted by the Brisbane Bears as a zone selection in 1995...
also played for the Brisbane Lions before transferring to St Kilda Football Club to enhance his opportunities to play senior football.
Voss' football skills were excellent from an early age, kicking 14 goals for Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in an under-17 representative match in 1992, before eventually winning the Hunter-Harrison Medal for the tournament. The following week he debuted for the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
against Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
at Princes Park
MC Labour Park
Princes Park is an Australian rules football ground located at Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North, Victoria....
in Melbourne, the youngest ever player to play a senior game for the club.
Rise to stardom
Although highly skilled, he was also slight, but worked as hard as any veteran in getting the most out of his body. By 1996 he was one of the most accomplished players in the competition, and at the end of the season he shared the Brownlow MedalBrownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
, the game's highest individual honour, with James Hird
James Hird
James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
.
In 1997 after the Bears merged with Fitzroy to form the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
and the retirement of long-term Bears captain Roger Merrett
Roger Merrett
Roger Merrett is a former Australian rules footballer who played in two Victorian Football League premiership sides with the Essendon Football Club in the mid-1980s before moving to the fledging Brisbane Bears, later captaining the new club for seven seasons...
, Voss's leadership abilities were recognised in his promotion to co-captain with teammate Alastair Lynch
Alastair Lynch
Alastair Graeme Lynch is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League . He is best known as a three time premiership full-forward for the Brisbane Lions....
at the age of just 21. His early form was patchy as he grew into the role, but by 1999 he was being lauded as one of the best captains in the AFL.
In 1998 he suffered his first major career setback. Contesting a mark at Subiaco Oval in Perth in a match against Fremantle, he collided with Shane Parker and shattered his leg. The subsequent operation was at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and it was a year before he was fit & back in training to play again. Brisbane finished 16th & with a wooden spoon that year with a 5-1-16 record.
Premiership and captaincy success
Voss captained the Brisbane Lions in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals, yielding three premierships (2001–2003). His performance in the 2002 grand final against CollingwoodCollingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
was an outstanding example of courage, skill and leadership, only narrowly conceding the Norm Smith Medal
Norm Smith Medal
The Norm Smith Medal is the award given in the AFL Grand Final to the player adjudged by an independent panel of experts to have been the best player in the match.-History:The Norm Smith Medal is named after former Melbourne player and coach, Norm Smith...
to opposing captain Nathan Buckley
Nathan Buckley
Nathan Charles Buckley is a former professional Australian rules football player, commentator and coach, best known for his time as captain of the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
.
Later career
In early 2004, Voss booted a career best 7 goals against a struggling Adelaide at AAMI Stadium as coach Leigh MatthewsLeigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
looked to play him in the forward line during the latter part of his career. However, a heavy injury toll to the Lions meant that Voss continued his career in the midfield, with Simon Black helping him out & also his new housemate while living in Brisbane.
In 2005, Voss suffered a badly cut hamstring before Round 2 whilst renovating his home. Prior to this, Voss had suffered from tendinitis of the knee and saw a doctor to have an operation & solve the problem. This hamstring injury had an impact on his performances, with the four games after the injury yielding a high possession count of only 16. Voss later improved and in Round 21 picked up a 35 possession haul against Port Adelaide.
Soon after the completion of the 2006 season
2006 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final...
, Voss announced his retirement from the AFL after 289 games and 15 years at the Brisbane Bears/Lions, and 3 premierships to his name & found a job for 2 years with Channel 10 in Brisbane, presenting the sport. In 2006, the problems he suffered with knee problems yet again, saw a doctor and caught problems with traffic in Brisbane on his way to the Gabba in what Voss described as his "very old knees". Voss said farewell in what turned out to be his last game, at the Gabba in Round 22 against St Kilda, gathering 34 possessions and 2 Brownlow Medal votes as a struggling Brisbane Lions team went down by 50 points to finals bound St Kilda who won in Brisbane for the first time in a decade. Despite losing badly. The Lions received a long standing ovation from a sold out home crowd after the game for their premiership efforts and farewell to several other players.
Voss was added to the Brisbane Council when he visited them.
Life after football
Voss joined the Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
AFL commentary team in 2007 in a special comments
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
role. He was also appointed the role of sports anchor on Ten's 5 o'clock weekday news
Ten News
Ten News is the national news service of Network Ten in Australia. The majority of its news bulletins are presented from the TEN-10 studios in Pyrmont...
in Brisbane.
Voss currently lives in Brisbane with wife Donna and their three children.
In 2011, Voss was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australian Football Hall of Fame
The Australian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1996, the Centenary year of the Australian Football League, to help recognise the contributions made to the sport of Australian rules football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators. It was initially established...
.
Controversy
In 2007, Voss was charged for his role in a melee with Simon Black, Fraser Gehrig and three other high profile AFL players at a Melbourne nightclub. At the resulting trial, Voss agreed to enter a diversion program and therefore no conviction was recorded.Coaching career
When announcing his retirement at the end of the 2006 season, there was speculation Voss would soon become a senior coach or join Leigh Matthews in the Brisbane Lions Coaching team. Voss instead joined the Channel 10 Sports crew and commentary team.Voss coached Australia's AIS
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
Under 17 squad to victory against the South African national Australian rules football team
South African national Australian rules football team
The South African national Australian rules football team represent South Africa in the sport of Australian rules football....
at North West Cricket Stadium
North West Cricket Stadium
Senwes Cricket Stadium is a cricket ground in Potchefstroom, North West Province, South Africa. It has hosted one Test match, in 2002. The Highveld Lions also play some home matches here...
in Potchefstroom, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Voss was often mentioned as a candidate to coach the Melbourne Demons after the resignation of Neale Daniher
Neale Daniher
Neale Francis Daniher is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League . Neale was also an Assistant Coach to the Essendon and Fremantle Football Clubs and the Coach of the Victorian State Team and the Melbourne Football Club...
. He was also linked to various other coaching positions, most notably Carlton.
Voss was seen by many to be the likely inaugural coach of the Gold Coast
GC17
The Gold Coast Football Club, nicknamed The Suns, is an Australian rules football club based on the Gold Coast, which began playing in the Australian Football League competition for the first time in 2011. The club is the product of a sole consortium, formerly known as "GC17", tendering against...
side, but instead signed a two year deal with the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
as an assistant coach and formally pulled himself out of the Gold Coast
GC17
The Gold Coast Football Club, nicknamed The Suns, is an Australian rules football club based on the Gold Coast, which began playing in the Australian Football League competition for the first time in 2011. The club is the product of a sole consortium, formerly known as "GC17", tendering against...
bid.
When Leigh Matthews, coach of the Brisbane Lions, resigned at the end of the 2008 season, Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett gave Voss permission to talk with his former club. The Lions later announced Voss as their new senior coach until the end of 2011.
Voss made his coaching debut in Brisbane's defeat of the West Coast Eagles in round 1, 2009.
Voss's first season as coach could be described as one of exceeding expectations. The rookie coach managed to guide the Brisbane Lions into their first finals campaign since 2004 including a comeback elimination final victory over Carlton after trailing by 30 points early in the fourth quarter.
However, what followed were two seasons of disappointment at the club. After the club won its first four matches to be sitting on top of the ladder in early season 2010, the Lions would only win three more games to finish 13th (out of 16) on the ladder. Season 2011 brought in an even worse low – the Lions finishing 15th (out of 17 teams) in season 2011, its worst placing since 1998 when it won the wooden spoon.