CARLTON is confident Patrick Cripps has escaped serious injury and expects the emerging star to face arch-rivals Richmond after he limped from the field in Saturday night's loss to the Western Bulldogs.
Cripps was forced out of the hard-fought 11-point defeat – Carlton's 10th for the season - with a rolled ankle during the final term.
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The 20-year-old – who is favourite to win this year's NAB AFL Rising Star award – will have precautionary scans on Sunday but should be available to face the Tigers, while forward Andrejs Everitt will also have his sore knee scanned.
Everitt was subbed out of the match in the third quarter, having booted a goal and taken a mark of the round contender to help inspire the Blues to a three-point half-time lead.
The Blues also lost Sam Rowe pre-game due to a stiff back from training, but the key defender could return alongside Andrew Carrazzo (ankle) and Troy Menzel (knee) in round 15.
"We're hopeful (about Carrazzo and Menzel). We'll have to see how they train and see how their work goes through the week," Barker said.
WATCH: John Barker's full post-match media conference
Carlton produced another competitive effort in Barker's fifth game in charge, with wastefulness and a lack of polish in a dominant second quarter proving costly.
Trailing by 14 points at quarter-time, the Blues shot themselves in the foot by booting 3.6 in the second term, failing to capitalise on their momentum, and the Bulldogs made them pay with a three-goal to nil third quarter.
Losing Cripps (16 disposals) stalled the Blues, although skipper Marc Murphy (26), Zach Tuohy (25) and Kade Simpson (28) almost inspired a come-from-behind triumph with a late surge.
"Second quarter (the issue) was probably ball use. We just lacked that polish and that poise at the right time," Barker said.
"At the end of the day, ball use is fixable over time. The third quarter we probably didn't defend as well as we had in the previous two (quarters).
"You get a good lesson from a top-eight team if you don't want to defend them with good intent for four quarters."
Despite significantly improving the 16th-placed Blues' competitiveness – they out-tackled the AFL's No.1 tackling team 70-65 – Barker was not content with another "honourable loss", his third in five games.
"I think our effort was pretty good for four quarters – having said that I'm not into honourable losses and I don't think the Carlton Football Club should be," he said.
However, Barker, who has handed more opportunities to youngsters since taking the reins from Mick Malthouse, has been excited by showcasing the likes of Blaine Boekhorst, Nick Graham, Dylan Buckley, Mark Whiley, Nick Holman, Jason Tutt and Cripps as the club's future.
"I think that's exciting for the Carlton Football Club to have so many young guys play today and get a taste," Barker said.
"In terms of our defensive action sometimes we don't quite get it right, but those gaps will be shown during the week and they get to learn from that. I think the Carlton people get a glimpse of what our future looks like."
