TINGES of brown and gold were always going to colour Carlton's game-plan once Brendon Bolton was appointed Blues coach.

But few expected he would transplant a Hawthorn-style blueprint with such immediate effect.

Bolton took over the toughest job in football after Carlton had 'won' the wooden spoon in 2015 following a spiritless campaign that was awful to watch.

The Blues couldn't move the ball (18th in kicking efficiency), gave lacklustre effort (18th forward-half pressure) and were picked apart more often than a politician's promises (18th scores against).

Even the most ardent supporters must have prepared for Bolton's 'reset' to be slow and painful.

But from the opening NAB Challenge match – as it happened, against the Hawks – it was clear Bolton's learning environment was speeding up the process.

In the space of 10 rounds, the former Hawthorn assistant has overhauled the old dark navy Blues.

The remodeled side is defending better (seventh for points against), keeping hold of the footy (kicking efficiency from 18th to seventh) and playing a system that's predictable to each other.

But Bolton couldn't have built anything without effort – and the desperation typified by Matthew Kreuzer in Sunday's upset of Geelong.

Making an earlier than expected comeback from a knee injury, as the Blues harassed the Cats into mistakes he laid 12 tackles, the most by a ruckman this season.

Even with the excuse of fewer rotations after injuries to skipper Marc Murphy and Liam Sumner, the Blues refused to throw in the towel when Geelong fought back, with an exhausted Bryce Gibbs physically ill on the field after the final siren.

The Blues held on for their fifth win from the past six games, and throughout, their pressure – 11th in the AFL for forward-half pressure – has been a constant.

Unsurprisingly, Hawthorn was ranked first in that stat last year, with Cyril Rioli, Luke Breust and Paul Puopolo terrorising opposition defenders.

Jed Lamb, Matthew Wright and Dennis Armfield aren't in the same league, but then effort isn't talent-based.

They laid 11 tackles against the Cats and the Blues are locking the ball in attack (17th to fourth in time spent in forward half) like the best modern sides.

There are traces of Hawthorn in the way Carlton is moving the ball, too.

The Blues have sharpened their kicking efficiency (fifth in the League), are switching to spread the opposition's zone and by keeping possession they're limiting the chance of being scored against.

They're taking safer options – and hitting them – with uncontested marks jumping from 15th to sixth. Again, the Hawks took the AFL's most uncontested marks last year.

Importantly, it's the Blues' leaders showing the way forward.

Bolton witnessed first-hand the power of on-field leadership in five years at Waverley and wants his side to have generals across the ground.

Murphy has been tough and inspiring in Luke Hodge manner, while vice-captain Bryce Gibbs has been prolific, using his elite skills and decision-making to damaging effect like Sam Mitchell does for the Hawks.

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Kade Simpson has been a fulcrum at half-back, launching attacks like Grant Birchall does when the Hawks are up and running.

Dale Thomas has found some zip again, and his heart-in-mouth moment running back with the flight against Geelong was an unconditional act of a fully-invested footballer, while Bolton praised Sam Docherty post-match for acting as an extra coach on the ground.

Bolton has been first to admit there's a long way to go, repeatedly drilling his mantra of not getting too high or low from wins or losses.

But his Blues are suddenly 5-5, just four points from eighth spot, with the Brisbane Lions and St Kilda to come, and he has delivered the most important thing for a success-starved supporter base: hope.

STATS QUIRK OF THE ROUND: Gold Coast's woes have been deepened by shocking starts to quarters this season. In the first 10 minutes of all quarters, the Suns are -196 points, the worst in the League. The Lions (-134) are next worst. West Coast outscored the Suns by 42 points in the first 10 minutes of all four quarters on Sunday in Perth. 

 

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