CARLTON is capable of eventually making the jump to being a top four team, according to coach Michael Voss, but the club won't turn any attention to finals after steaming home against West Coast on Sunday.
The Blues held the Eagles scoreless in the opening term and goalless in the last in a 63-point win on Sunday, but they found themselves in a tight arm-wrestle in the middle two quarters at Optus Stadium.
Voss said he was proud of the way his players stuck to the task after their lead was cut to just 10 points deep in the third quarter and the team was capable of making the next jump after drawing level on 11 wins with fourth-placed Brisbane.
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"I think so. There is commentary of how we are going, and the last three games [we're] going really well. I think we're in some really good form," Voss said on Sunday night.
"I will let others determine who we play against and what results we should be getting. We came over here having not won here in eight or nine years. That is significant.
"We walk away happy with how we finished the game and we respect every opposition we play. That's important to us."
Voss said he was yet to talk to his players about finals and he wouldn't, with a massive challenge looming against ladder leader Geelong at the MCG next Saturday night.
"We have completed this season in stages, so the conversation around finals is not one we are having," the coach said.
"We are determined to get the best version of ourselves that gives us the best chance to get prepared for big games, and we have big games coming.
"We get a great win against West Coast and our next contest is still Geelong. There is a team to reset you if you get ahead of yourselves."
Voss said ruckman Marc Pittonet (knee) and defender Mitch McGovern (hamstring) were both due to return from injury next week and the club would work through whether they're called up to AFL level immediately.
West Coast, meanwhile, faces Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday and hopes to have premiership forward Jamie Cripps available after missing against the Blues due to health and safety protocols.
Forward Jack Petruccelle was substituted with hamstring awareness and would need to be assessed.
Champion forward Josh Kennedy, who kicked his 700th goal as an Eagle on Sunday, would make the call himself about whether he travels to take on the Hawks after resting for the Eagles' last interstate trip.
"He knows his body better than anyone, so if he tells me he's right to go we'll play him," Simpson said.
"We don't have a lot at WAFL level to come up and expose … so we'll see what happens with JK."
Simpson described the 10-goal loss as a "Jekyll and Hyde type of game", with the scoreless opening term the most disappointing aspect, leading to an animated quarter-time spray.
"I thought we spent a lot of energy getting back into the game, but the first quarter we knew what they were going to bring," the coach said.
"We couldn’t get settled and we had two inside 50s. Our backs held up reasonably well.
"We took a deep breath, and the second and third quarters I’m really proud of the way they responded. There are some little wins we take out of those two quarters, in particular the second.
"But the first quarter was the part we can’t accept. We’ve got to get better than that."
