COACH David Teague is adamant he's the right man to lead Carlton despite Alastair Clarkson's looming availability.
Four-time premiership coach Clarkson is due to hand over the reins at Hawthorn to Sam Mitchell at the end of the 2022 season but is expected to attract attention from other AFL clubs before then.
Carlton, in the midst of an external review into their football department, shape as a potential option for Clarkson, but Teague, contracted until the end of 2022, backed himself in.
"I honestly believe I'm the right person," Teague told reporters on Thursday.
"This group - I think we've got a good team together at the moment.
"I understand we probably haven't performed as well as we would've like to have but in terms of where the club's going, the direction the club's going, I have a lot of confidence.
"I look at a few of the players recently that have signed on and their commitment to this footy club and the group that are going to take this football club forward, gives me a lot of confidence in what we're doing at the moment."
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Teague noted there had been plenty of "talk" and "noise" about the Blues all year but said he had "blocked out" most news and didn't feel a need for president Mark LoGiudice or incoming president Luke Sayers to give him any reassurance regarding Clarkson's situation.
"The review started a week ago - so we're not going to have a running commentary on the review," he said.
"But in terms of the Clarkson thing, there's no need to give me a call around that."
The 13th-placed Blues will be chasing their third consecutive win when they face Geelong at the MCG on Saturday.
Teague said the review hadn't sparked Carlton's form uplift - instead hailing improved defensive execution and increased belief.
Co-captain Patrick Cripps is set to face the Cats after scans confirmed he had avoided any serious damage to his foot in last week's win over Fremantle, while Zac Williams will return from suspension.
Charlie Curnow could make his long-awaited return in the VFL as early as next week and Teague believed it wouldn't take the key forward long to graduate to AFL level again.
"Once his form's right, we'll back him in, we'll get him back out there," Teague said.
"... His first games will probably be limited minutes - once he's available for full games and then it'll be on form."
Curnow hasn't played at AFL level since round 15, 2019 amid multiple knee injuries.
