CARLTON coach Brett Ratten says his side’s ability to handle the expectation of winning was the most pleasing aspect of the team’s 33-point win over Melbourne at the MCG.

Having started at the cramped odds of $1.35 – its shortest quote since 2004 – the Blues overcame a second-quarter hiccup to win in a canter.

It was the first time the side has won two in a row since beating the Bulldogs and Port Adelaide in rounds 10 and 11 last year.

“I suppose they had expectations this week whereas last week they didn’t and to come out and produce that sort of performance was pleasing,” Ratten said.

“At the start of the day if you had said: 'a 33-point victory', I would have taken it any day of the week.”

Ratten said skipper Chris Judd provided the spark in the second term after Melbourne had turned a three-goal deficit into a six-point lead.

Judd had 26 possessions and kicked three goals while inform full forward Brendan Fevola kicked seven goals to take his tally to 22 from the past three matches.

Ratten said Judd was now at full fitness after off-season groin surgery.

“When you can dodge two players like he did and then kick it to Brendan (Fevola) it showed that lateral movement and power in his game is really coming back,” he said.

“He’s the one, at the start of the second quarter, when the game slowed up and became flat, he’s the one who broke the game open an really changed it.

“That’s the beauty of having a player of his quality at our club.”

He was also effusive in his praise for Fevola who kicked seven goals from as many kicks.

“I thought his chasing and tackling and trying to get the ball back for us, that was the really pleasing part about it,” he said.

“We know he can do all the special things but just his chase down on Jones was great – he’s the barometer of our team. He can really spark and ignite the team when he chases blokes down from behind.

“That’s probably a credit to Brendan.”

Ratten was thrilled the side had continued to improve despite starting the year 0-3.

“The pleasing aspect is that every week when we’ve focussed on things we’ve improved as a team,” he said.

“So, at the end of the day to come and win two in a row it is as pleasing to beat Collingwood last week as Melbourne this week.”

At 2-3 and with Adelaide to come, Ratten said the club would continue to prepare for the future rather than dwell on the past.

He said the fact the side had played Melbourne in the final round last year had no bearing on firing up his players.

“We’re looking at what we can do as a club in 2008 not what was done in 2007 or 2005,” he said.

“We might look at history and see some of the good things that have happened around the Carlton Football Club to educate our players.”