CARLTON has been a competitive unit under new coach Brett Ratten, but Adam Bentick says the young Blues were shown how it’s done by the finals-bound Kangaroos on Saturday.

“It’s been pretty positive, the last month, but today’s performance just wasn’t up to scratch and it was a really disappointing result in the end,” Bentick said after the 82-point loss at Telstra Dome.

“It just goes to show how hard you’ve got to work to be a top-four team. The Kangaroos showed us that today.

“The 22 blokes who played today didn’t contribute as much as we wanted, and that showed in the end result.

“Since Ratts has come in we’ve really played with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of spirit, but that didn’t happen today.”

Bentick’s 36-possession performance against the Roos was a shining light for Carlton on an otherwise dark day. It was another positive step for the 22-year-old, who has been sent back to the VFL twice in the last month.

“Ratts has been playing me in a bit of a different role, coming off the bench and pinch-hitting in the middle a little bit,” he said. “So I’ve tried to embrace that role.

“I’ve just been trying to take my opportunities over the last couple of weeks so I could hopefully string a few good games together and really show my worth.

“It’s always disappointing to get dropped but, hopefully, I’ll stay in the side next week.

“We’re going to try to be upbeat and positive and really put in a solid performance against Melbourne.”