BEWARE of the challenge.

After last weekend's bye, AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss has implored his team to be up for the opponent and the occasion when Carlton takes on North Melbourne in the Good Friday SuperClash.

Forecasting a few changes to the side which triumphed over Richmond a fortnight ago, this is what Voss had to say.

On Jacob Weitering and Caleb Marchbank’s availability:

“They’ve obviously been working pretty hard at it behind the scenes for a number of weeks: they’re really important players to us. Having Elijah also come into the team and what he’s been able to do over pre-season has been particularly impressive. 

“We’ve got some really positive inclusions, some positive news on some other fronts and hopefully and as we go along, we continue to add.”

On the impression Elijah Hollands has made:

“All we asked from him was to come in, put his head down and work really hard, earn the respect through the work rate and effort that he brings, plus the attention to detail he brings to the role we want him to play. He’s shown all those things from the very first day he walked through the doors. 

“He’s been particularly impressive, so we had no real hesitation to bring him into the team. His pre-season has been as good as anyone at the Club.”

On his role in the team:

“It’ll be mostly forward, but he can play midfield as well. His time has been spent on the wing more recently at Gold Coast, so we know he can take that role on, but he’ll spend a fair bit more time across half-forward plus hopefully some exposure through the midfield as well.”

On the Club’s approach to the Round 2 bye:

“It’s been a great couple of weeks. We sat here and planned it out back in November: it probably wasn’t the ideal opportunity to have the bye, but what it’s afforded us is to take a step back and take a look at the competition, because half the competition hadn’t actually played by the time we finished our two games. 

“It’s been good to see what those games have looked like, there’s been some really impressive games played. It also gives you a chance to look at your system, what’s working and what’s not. We’ve taken all those opportunities and gone to work training as hard as we possibly can to get ready for our next phase.”

On the threat of North Melbourne:

“They’re extremely dangerous. They’ve been able to add some really young talent into their team among some guys in there that bring that experience. They’ve got some real danger. 

“I went to the Fremantle game and I don’t think they could be more impressive in that first half. We’re aware of what’s coming, so it’s up to us to make sure we can not only put our system in place, but also pressure the opposition as well.”

On Sam Walsh:

“There’s been an exorbitant amount of speculation about him, but we’ve stayed pretty present, we’ve been pretty clear on when we hoped to give people updates. He’s progressed well, he’s back into modified training, he’ll jump into full training next week. If he’s able to complete his next couple of weeks, then he’ll be available to play. 

“He’s stepping through the gears pretty well, he’s meeting the requirements we’re asking of him, but at the same time, we’ve got to respect where he’s at and make sure he gets a top up from the work he’s already done over pre-season.”

On Jesse Motlop:

“Jesse won’t come into the side, he’s had a slightly different preparation and interruption to his program. Based on what we’re trying to bring in, we’re going down a different path. He pulled up a little bit tight the other day, so we’ll go a little more conservative with him.”

On what the Good Friday SuperClash means:

“It’s pretty huge. The first two things I always think about are around gratitude and perspective, being able to be grateful for what we have. That’s the first thing you get to be able to do, focus on what you have rather than what you don’t. To be part of this particular occasion is really important to us. 

“Raising money is really important, but it’s also about perspective and putting footy in its place. Ken Hinkley always used to say it’s the least important of the most important things, and it’s so true. It’s very important to us in football, but we try and find ways where we can contribute and put a smile on the face of people that might be struggling a little bit. 

“That’s our role in this: to make people smile and raise much-needed funds. Hopefully that goes towards creating some much-needed support.”