Carlton players are not distracted by coach Mick Malthouse's uncertain future at the club, but have full confidence in the three-time premiership coach and want him to stay on beyond this season, defender Zach Tuohy says.
Malthouse is set to come out of contract at the end of this season after his initial three-year deal at Ikon Park expires, but the Blues have said they will not start talks on his future until later this season.
Malthouse said recently he feared his contractual situation could become a distraction for his players.
But Tuohy told reporters on Tuesday that any media suggestion Blues players would not have their minds firmly on the clash against West Coast this Friday night due to Malthouse’s contract situation, were "disrespectful".
"It's at that time of year now where we don't really care about anything that goes on off-field," Tuohy said.
"Media are allowed to make a circus around whatever they like.
"We had a loss (in round one) so we need to go over [to Perth] and put on a really good performance, and I think to suggest that contracts or anything that goes on off-field impacts the players is a bit disrespectful to the players.
"We're fully focused on [the Eagles] and anything that goes on outside it is up to you. You can dance around it if you like, but we don't talk about it."
Malthouse is set to pass Jock McHale as the AFL's coaching games record-holder when he leads the Blues in his 715th game in round five.
Asked whether the former Bulldogs, West Coast and Collingwood coach was the man to lead Carlton beyond this season, Tuohy pledged his support for Malthouse.
"From a player's point of view, he is the most decorated coach in the game, he's somebody we highly respect and admire," Tuohy said.
"There's only so much a coach can do, it's up to the players to go out on the weekends and play and some of the performances we dished up over the last couple of years are down to the players.
"He has a system in place that we know works and that we've shown has worked, we just haven't executed it well enough from a player's point of view.
"So we're very lucky to have Mick, we want Mick to stay on and the players have his full support."
Malthouse led Carlton to a sixth-place finish in his first year at the helm but the Blues slid to 13th last year after notching seven wins and a draw.
Tuohy said the Blues had been happy with aspects of their 27-point loss to Richmond last Thursday night, but had identified their inability to stop the Tigers' runs of momentum after quarter-time as the primary area they needed to address before the Eagles clash.
"Limiting those blocks in games where we just kind of go missing and figuring out where to stem the flow is our biggest focus," he said.
Tuohy said for Carlton to kick-start its season with a win against the Eagles it was not up to the club's leaders to step up but rather its 70-100 game players such as himself.
The Irishman said Domain Stadium held no fears for the Blues given their good recent record at the Perth venue – they have won six of their past 10 clashes.
"It is a big ask but coming off the back of a disappointing loss sometimes you like a big challenge to kind of get everybody back on side and get yourself going," Tuohy said.
