Michael Voss

In October 2014 Voss joined the Port Adelaide Football Club as their midfield manager, replacing Phil Walsh who had joined the Adelaide Football Club.

On 13 August 2013, Voss was told that he would not be receiving a contract extension with the Lions for 2014. Former Fremantle Dockers head coach Mark Harvey was appointed caretaker coach of the Lions for the remainder of the season. Justin Leppitsch was eventually appointed as the new head coach of the Lions from 2014 onwards.

In 2011, Voss was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

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.

Voss made his coaching debut in Brisbane's defeat of the West Coast Eagles in Round 1, 2009.

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 joined the Network Ten 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.

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.

Voss was the first Brisbane player to win the Brownlow Medal which is considered the games most prestigious individual award. He also won the Leigh Matthews Trophy for the league's most valued player. Additionally, he represented Australia in the 2006 International Rules Series. 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.

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 with three premierships and a Brownlow Medal to his name. He was subsequently employed as a sports journalist by Channel 10 in Brisbane. 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 two 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.

When announcing his retirement at the end of the 2006 season, there was speculation that Voss would soon become a senior coach or join Leigh Matthews in the Brisbane Lions coaching team. Voss instead joined the Channel 10 sports commentary team.

In 2005, Voss suffered a badly cut calf before Round 2 whilst renovating his home. He recovered to play his 250th game the following week, but the Lions suffered an embarrassing six-point loss to eventual premiers Sydney after they had led by 32 points at the final change. Prior to this, Voss had suffered from tendinitis of the knee but had been able to curtail the problem. The calf injury affected 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 35 possessions against Port Adelaide.

In early 2004, Voss kicked a career best seven goals against a struggling Adelaide at AAMI Stadium as coach Leigh Matthews 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.

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.

Voss is recognised as being one of the games best captains of all time after having captained Brisbane in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals between 2001-04. This included winning a hat-trick of premierships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The 2001 premiership was Brisbane’s first senior premiership since joining the VFL in 1987. It won a reserves premiership in 1991.

Voss captained the Brisbane Lions in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals, yielding three premierships (2001–2003). His performance in the 2002 grand final against Collingwood was an outstanding example of courage, skill and leadership, only narrowly conceding the Norm Smith Medal to opposing captain and former Bears teammate Nathan Buckley.

In 1998 Voss 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 and in training to play again. Brisbane finished 16th and with a wooden spoon that year with a 5-1-16 record.

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.

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 Medal, the game's highest individual honour, with James Hird.

Michael Voss (born 7 July 1975) is a former professional football player and coach of the Brisbane Bears/Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL) and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. Respected AFL journalist Mike Sheahan listed Voss as one of the top 50 players of all time. He is currently employed by the Port Adelaide Football Club as a midfield coach.