HIGH-SCORING shootouts might be fun to watch, but Carlton defender Sam Docherty says it's time for the Blues to shut them down.
Carlton went toe-to-toe with Geelong in its 13-point loss on Saturday but coach Michael Voss was incensed by the Blues shipping 18 goals in the process.
"I don't want us to settle (on it being) a good effort or it was close. It was unacceptable and we've got to be better," Voss said.
"Geelong is currently top of the ladder but I'd like to think we benchmark ourselves off our own standards and we fell below those ... on defending.
"We've got to be better and we've got to expect better from each other. We've conceded 118 points and that's just too much."
The Blues also conceded 98 points against Greater Western Sydney and 100 against Adelaide.
Defensive work will clearly be on the cards ahead of Friday night's blockbuster against Collingwood.
Docherty is assisting Carlton's coaching staff from the bench during his rehabilitation from his third ACL tear and concurred with Voss.
"I'm on the bench now so I've got a front row seat to it all," he said.
"Ultimately our defence probably hasn't been good enough for a few weeks now.
"When you're conceding – although the fans probably love seeing teams conceding 100-120 points – but internally we're a team that probably doesn't stand for that.
"So there's many elements of what that represents but Vossy's comments ring true throughout the playing group.
"We don't want to be a team that's playing in shootouts and we really need to tidy that up, coming up against a really quality side in Collingwood this week, it'll be really important that our defence is on."
Docherty's fellow defenders will have to get to grips with Magpies dynamo Bobby Hill.
"It's hard to shut him down," he said.
"One of the premier small forwards in the League and going off last year's Grand Final and now his start to this year, he's having a super year and I personally love seeing him go about his business.
"I'm glad I don't have to go near him because (after) three ACLs my change of direction's not the best and chasing him around would be a bit harder."
Docherty and Hill, who have both previously had testicular cancer, were launching the Peter Mac Cup.
The blockbuster game raises funds to support ground-breaking cancer research at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
"To have two massive fan bases, two passionate fan bases that don't really like each other ... come to a game of footy and unite behind something, I think that says a hell of a lot," Docherty said.
