NOT DONE yet.
As the Blues landed on the Gold Coast looking to battle it out with the Suns on Saturday afternoon, all focus is firmly on the Round 23 clash that lays ahead.
AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss was adamant that nothing else could sway Carlton’s eyes from the game ahead of them, as they look to take on a determined Gold Coast outfit in the opposition's final home game of the season.
“Our whole week has been about narrowing our focus in on Gold Coast and what they bring and the threats they bring,” Voss said.
“They’re obviously a pretty formidable team when it comes to playing at their home venue.
“We feel like we’ve got a lot to play out this season, but that doesn’t get taken care of unless we get our jobs done and we’re coming up here with a real purpose and that’s to try and bring our best football.”
With star forward Harry McKay returning to the side, Carlton’s forward line has been bolstered by a key name, with Voss believing there'd be nobody happier than Charlie Curnow to see his forward partner back.
It was Voss' firm belief that McKay's presence and impact forward of centre makes the team walk taller.
“[McKay’s] a great support for Charlie and he’s a pretty important player for us in terms of our forward six or seven,” he said.
“I know Charlie is looking forward to having him back and he’s really important to the make-up of our team: if we’re going to make an impact on this season, then he’s an important part of that.”
Despite being on an eight-game winning streak, the Blues haven’t been switching anything up in terms of focus.
Wanting to keep things consistent wherever possible, the coach hopes that his players can feel comfortable and purposeful at IKON Park, with cohesion and improvement the main agenda.
“We’re trying to keep it pretty consistent, even through our more leaner times, just to be able to bring that consistent environment that players can come in and enjoy being a part of,” he said.
“We’ve got people who bring that fresh energy for us and we’ve tried to focus on that as well as making sure we don’t change whether we win or lose, we keep getting after it and look for other ways to get better.”
The focus this week is the Suns, who are determined to finish their season strong under interim coach Steven King.
With their midfield prowess the cornerstone of their game, Voss said it will take a collective effort to shut the opposition down on their home turf.
“Their strengths are on show, they’ve got a really strong midfield and a very proud group and they’re a young emerging group with a new coach at the moment, they look like they’re taking things on a bit more,” he said.
“There’s also an opportunity on that, but only if we dial up our contest and defence.”
