CARLTON coach Michael Voss is confident key defender Jacob Weitering will be available for the crucial trip to Perth next weekend, despite the Blues star being reported in Sunday's win over Hawthorn.
The Blues remained in the hunt for September by smashing the Hawks by 60 points at the MCG, banking back-to-back wins for the first time since round four after beating Gold Coast by an almost identical margin before the bye.
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Weitering was put in the book for striking Hawks ruckman Lloyd Meek off the ball in the third quarter, but Voss doesn't believe the 25-year-old – who was one of the Blues' best players – has anything to worry about.
"I didn't see the direct incident, but what I saw was him [Meek] holding his chest. Doesn't look like that classifies as high to me," Voss said.
"He [Weitering] is fairly comfortable with where it lies. I reckon he is pretty up front with these kinds of things, so I'll certainly back that man in."
After dropping six games in a row and eight of nine during a nightmare run in April, May and June, Carlton is suddenly only a game and a half outside the top eight.
Carlton may be back in the finals hunt, but Voss won't entertain any discussion around what's possible beyond next weekend's trip west to face Fremantle.
"Don't go there. It didn't take long. How many questions was that? We're not even going there. We've got a fair bit of work to go in the game and you haven't even asked the question, but I know where you're going," Voss said with a smile.
"Our carrot is to get better against us. We have to find ways to improve. Where we've been we haven't been good enough. Our competition exists with how we want to get better with our things and the way we want to play and the roles we want to do. That's where our competition lies right now.
"If we can find the full version of that, I know we'll be OK. If that puts us in with a shout, well that puts us in with a shout. It won't be the focus for us. We'll stay completely present. We've got a really big game coming up next. We'll enjoy this moment and then get back in on Tuesday and look forward to our next opponent."
Charlie Curnow kicked three goals to move one behind Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker in the Coleman Medal race before being substituted out of the game in the fourth quarter, after entering the game under the weather.
"He was ill coming into the game, so in the end when we finished off his shot on goal we decided to sub him. We thought it was the right time to give him a rest," Voss said.
Carlton played without a recognised ruckman against Ned Reeves and Meek after Tom De Koning was a late out due to a knee issue, days after Marc Pittonet was ruled out due to his knee, but Voss expects both to be available for the crucial fixture against the Dockers.
"They are a bit banged up, both with knees. It is still a wait and see, but we are hoping they will be available for selection. Whether we choose to select them or not we will make a decision later in the week," he said.
"We did a test yesterday and he [De Koning] didn't pull up how we would have liked so we didn't bother to take a risk when it comes to him."
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell revealed that he addressed the Hawks' horrible start with his players in the minutes after a second consecutive 10-goal thumping – and third in four games – and will investigate during the week why his side looked so lethargic early to be held goalless in first half for the first time since 2017 and only the second time ever at the MCG.
"I spent a lot of time on that exact topic. We started the game so energy-less. Post-game I asked the players three questions: 'What happened? Why? What are we going to do about it?'" Mitchell said.
"Part of my responsibility is to have them ready for the fight early. We just didn't look like a team that is fighting for its life. It was a really good discussion. A few home truths. We have to get better in a lot of areas as a football team and a football club.
"We knew setting out this was the path we were on and there would be some days like these. I think we would have liked to have less of them and less consistently because there were only small aspects of today's game that were up to the standard that would expect with where the group is at right now.
"Some of that is the intent. We've done a lot of work on skill, on craft, but is everyone working as hard as they were six weeks ago? No one can answer that except for the individual players. We are very much in it together. Is our coaching at the highest level? Is our playing and preparation at the highest level? Can we perform closer to the top of our range to this point? That's our job to improve."
