Carlton vice-captain Jacob Weitering didn't mince his words when dissecting the performance of the club's leadership group as the Blues slump to 12th on the ladder.
Michael Voss' men have arguably been the most disappointing after making back-to-back finals series, including the penultimate weekend in 2023.
However, Weitering and his teammates have failed to regain the form of the past 24 months, and was honest in his assessment of his own leadership alongside the rest of the group.
"You succeed in front of millions and you fail in front of millions, and that's just the reality of the job," Weitering said at the MCG on Monday ahead of the club's 10th annual Carlton Respects game.
"At the moment, as leaders, we're probably not playing to the standard that we want to play to.
"When your leaders don't lead, it's very hard to ask the younger crop to come up and do a job.
"We've got six weeks now to find a purpose. Winning is obvious, but how can we get the most out of the back end of this year to set us up for next year?"
As a result of the six wins from 17 starts, Voss was subject to a vile threat during the club's heavy loss to Collingwood a fortnight ago.
The league handed down a five-year ban to the offender, while the AFL community rallied around the Blues coach, condemning the directed message.
Speculation still circles Voss and his future at Carlton, especially given incoming CEO Graham Wright's history of making big moves.
"The No.1 thing for us is just making sure 'Vossy' is OK," Weitering said.
"We've got his back. He'll continue coaching us for the rest of the year.
"He's put on an incredibly brave face, and he's done that the entire time that he's coached us."
Weitering was also quizzed about the form of ruckman Tom De Koning as he weighs up a monster deal from St Kilda.
De Koning began the season as one of the premier big men in the competition, but has faltered in recent weeks, resulting in him assisting Charlie Curnow inside 50, with Marc Pittonet shouldering the majority of the ruck duties.
"That's something that he'll do in his own time with his manager and his family," Weitering said.
"He's certainly got to weigh up his options and do what's best for him.
"But his job โ and I'm sure he'll say the same โ is to run out in the navy blue for the (next) six weeks and try to get some wins for us."
Carlton Respects is an initiative of the club that aims to champion respect, equality and meaningful change.
