No wonder Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss can feel for ex-Essendon mentor Matthew Knights.

Both guided their respective AFL teams to 7-15 win-loss records this season.

As a result, Knights is looking for another job.

And Voss? He is in charge of the Lions' end of year review.

"I can only feel for him and what he has gone through as a coach this year," Voss said of Knights in Brisbane on Monday.

"As a coach you can empathise with the challenges they face, and now he is not the coach of the club.

"All I can do is get behind Matty and wish him all the best."

Living outside Melbourne's AFL fishbowl has had other advantages for Voss.

The second-year coach has been able to largely sidestep rumblings over Brendan Fevola, with still no official club reaction to the controversial recruit's latest misdemeanour.

Lions fan forums have voiced their concerns about everything from how Fevola affected club to his heavily back-ended contract's influence on the club's future plans.

But asked about Fevola on Monday, Voss only offered: "All I can say is there is certainly a lot of discussion about him, that's for sure - some warranted and some clearly unfair.

"As a club to turn it around it didn't require an individual, it required a group of players with the same attitude, direction and execution of game style.

"For us that is what the club is about. It's not about one person."

Voss warmed to the subject of the review officially launched on Monday, to be assisted by independent experts John Reid and Terry Coyne.

The latter helped rejuvenate Geelong - and Voss welcomed the model Coyne helped usher in at the Cats, namely the introduction of a football manager with wide-ranging powers.

The club's recruitment policy has already been assessed.

Voss gambled and lost when he recruited six experienced players including Fevola in the off-season to push for a premiership in 2010, with former Eagle Brent Staker the only clearcut success.

"Making wholesale changes just isn't on the radar," Voss said.

"We are trying to create stability so any growth is going to come from the draft system."

Much will depend on what happens to Michael Rischitelli and Jared Brennan, linked to new franchise Gold Coast Suns and Melbourne clubs.

And Voss wasn't focussed on trading with the Suns to get higher draft picks - for now.

"Our focus has to be on the players we have now. There's players we have to sign up - that's the most critical thing," he said.

Brownlow medallist Simon Black, Luke Power and Josh Drummond are all off contract.

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