De Koning has been below-par in losses to North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Collingwood, with industry figures speculating his opponents in those games would be earning half of what he would be, should he join the Saints.

He had just 11 disposals, 12 hitouts and one clearance against the Magpies in a 56-point loss on Friday night, while Pittonet had 17 touches, 33 hitouts and two clearances.

“He [De Koning] looks to have… checked out might be too strong, but he just looks affected by this significantly,” Cornes told SEN.

The former Port Adelaide premiership player said the Blues should consider putting De Koning on ice for the rest of the season.

“What’s the point [of playing] if he is going to be in that mood? He can only do damage to himself and be a less desirable asset if he had a significant injury. That discussion has to happen,” Cornes said.

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“I think it would be extreme to say you are out for the next seven games and not play. We have seen it with Phil Davis, and maybe Lachie Henderson at Carlton when he went to Geelong. It’s extreme, and it’s rare, but it’s a conversation that needs to happen.”

Blues president Rob Priestley said last Monday Voss would coach out of the season, and the club on Saturday remained adamant that’s the case, regardless of what unfolds.

Voss is contracted until the end of 2026, and there is hope he can survive if incoming chief executive Graham Wright prefers to make changes around him in the football department, and to the playing list.

Football director and Blues premiership great Greg Williams will also have a say in the direction the club takes.

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The Blues, with only six wins from 16 games in a season when they were expected to challenge for the top four, are aware they lack skilled kicking through the midfield, while their midfielders are not delivering goals.

Senior players Charlie Curnow and George Hewett spoke post-match on Friday of how the players had let down Voss – the Blues having had a clear focus on winning the contest, overall pressure and tackle efficiency against the Magpies. However, they were beaten in all areas.

In a damning assessment, Hewett said the Blues were “out-efforted” by the Magpies, and lamented a lack of dare.

The Blues went at 38.8 per cent efficiency inside attacking 50, below their season average of 44.8 per cent.

Hewett said the Blues will conduct an “honest review”, with players needing to “speak from the heart”.

However, he insisted the Blues remained united behind Voss.

“Definitely, us boys want to do him proud. We are just not doing it, which has been tough the last couple of weeks,” he said.

Curnow was blunt in his own assessment.

“That’s not up to the AFL standard we have shown,” he told Seven on Friday night.

When asked about his own future, Voss said in the post-match that he would not speculate “beyond this week”.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae said he felt for Voss, his former triple premiership teammate at the Lions.

“For all our excitement there’s a level of, ‘I hope my mate’s OK’,” McRae said.
“As much as we want to beat our arch-rival, that’s done now, and I just go into love and care and support for a guy that I’ve got enormous love and support for.”

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