The Carlton Football Club can today confirm its coaching structure for the 2026 AFL season, following the appoints of experienced pair Leigh Adams (assistant coach) and Damian Truslove (VFL Senior Coach and development coach).
The new structure will see the Blues boost support for their coaching group, with Adams joining the coaches box as an additional line coach, overseeing the midfield group.
Adams’ new role will allow Tim Clarke to have a sharper focus on midfield stoppages and structure.
In further changes, Ash Hansen will take responsibility for the side’s defence, with the recently appointed Josh Fraser to oversee the forwards group.
Jordan Russell will step into the role of Head of Development, following the recent departure of Brad Ebert who wished to step away from football. Russell will work closely with Truslove, who takes the reigns of the Carlton Reserves, having served in high-level development roles at Richmond, GWS and Sydney.
This new structure heralds the first change to the Club’s AFL coaching group since the end of 2023.
It comes as part of a revamp of the Club’s football department under the leadership of football boss Chris Davies, one of the AFL’s most highly-credentialled General Managers.
Between Adams, Truslove and Fraser, the Blues have added three coaches who each possess more than a decade of coaching experience.
Adams arrives at IKON Park from North Melbourne where he has been the midfield coach for the past three seasons.
Playing 104 games for the Kangaroos, Adams was regarded as a tough and smart midfielder known for his leadership and footy IQ. After retiring, he transitioned successfully into coaching, where he won the Eastern Football League’s coach of the year in 2017, before returning to North Melbourne in 2020 in the dual role of development and VFL coach.
Adams was also the interim senior coach for the Kangaroos during the final six games of the 2022 season.
Truslove too brings a wide breadth of coaching credentials across multiple levels, including the AFL, VFL and Under-18s and in 2019 was the 2019 Phil Walsh memorial scholarship recipient.
Beginning his coaching journey with Coburg and then Richmond’s VFL program from 2013 – 2015, Truslove returns to IKON Park where he was an AFL development coach in 2016.
Truslove then spent five years in a variety of roles at GWS including VFL head coach, AFL development coach and AFL opposition analyst. He also spent two seasons at the Sydney Swans, where he was the VFL senior coach across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while he also has experience with the elite pathways – coaching the Bendigo Pioneers for two years.
Incoming General Manager of Football Chris Davies said all three appointments in Adams, Fraser and Truslove will be welcomed additions to not only the coaching group but the AFL program as a whole.
“The additions of Josh, Leigh and Damian bring valuable experience and fresh energy to our AFL program,” said Davies.
“Their combined knowledge, strong focus on connection with players, and new ideas will only strengthen our coaching group as we continue to build on what will be a new-look football program heading into 2026. They are also all quality people who we know will help drive our standards and development going forward.
“In addition to this, the new opportunities and responsibilities that have been provided to our existing coaching group is also an area we are really looking forward to seeing the benefits of – the creation of an additional line coach will provide a significant benefit, not just in the coaches box but throughout the week with the playing group.
“Together they bring over 40 years of combined AFL industry experience, spanning both playing and coaching, with each of them offering unique insight, leadership, and expertise that will complement and elevate our current coaching group.
“We are excited to welcome Leigh, Damian and Josh to IKON Park and can’t wait to see them get straight to work within the wider football department, as we get set to head into what will be a fresh pre-season program.”
The Club will continue to communicate any further addition to its coaching department in due course, within the new structure.
Current Carlton 2026 coaching group:
AFL Senior Coach: Michael Voss
Assistant coach (defence): Ash Hansen
Assistant coach (forwards): Josh Fraser
Assistant coach (midfield stoppage and structure): Tim Clarke
Assistant coach (midfield): Leigh Adams
Ruck coach: Matthew Kreuzer
Head of Development: Jordan Russell
VFL Senior Coach and development: Damian Truslove
Development coach: Torin Baker
