YOU CAN expect to see a more aggressive Carlton this weekend, with interim Blues coach David Teague beginning to refine his focus after his first week in charge at Ikon Park.
Teague took the reins from Brendon Bolton prior to the club's drought-breaking victory over Brisbane last Saturday, conceding the side rode the emotion of a gruelling week.
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On returning to normality ahead of this weekend's clash with the Western Bulldogs, Teague has gone to work on making tactical tweaks for the remainder of the year.
"They're only slight adjustments," Teague said on Friday.
"The foundations here were pretty good. It's probably just a little bit more aggression in offense, making the ground a little bit bigger.
"Then, because we're going to be more aggressive, we've got to transition a bit quicker and make sure we're ready to defend knowing that errors are going to occur.
"We're getting up and we want to play the game in our half. It's as simple as that."
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Carlton snapped a six-match losing streak against Brisbane last week, overcoming an early 37-point deficit to storm home and claim a satisfying victory at Marvel Stadium.
More assertiveness and dare with ball in hand was a feature of the win, with Teague saying the team will now begin to train its decision-making in when to pull the trigger.
Because we're going to be more aggressive, we've got to transition a bit quicker and make sure we're ready to defend - David Teague
"Early on, we went too far one way," Teague said.
"We were OK with that, in the sense that it's easier to pull back. But I'm hoping our players will learn and keep getting better at it, understanding when to push the boundaries and when it's not the right time and to play a little bit safer.
"It's continual education, it's learning and we're going to grow together. I think we'll do that and for the last 10 or 11 games of the year, we want to keep getting better."
Despite the sudden turnaround in form, Teague is confident there will be no lull in the Carlton camp as he prepares for just his second AFL game in charge of the Blues.
"Not after the way they trained this week," Teague said.
"I thought their intent (on Thursday) was outstanding, and even today during a pretty light session, the energy they brought … I'm really confident we're ready to go again."
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