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EMERGING Carlton defender Paul Bower says blame should be apportioned to the players and not coach Brett Ratten for his side's inconsistent start to season 2009.

After the Blues beat West Coast on Friday night to square the win-loss ledger at 5-5, the 21-year-old said he was disappointed fingers were pointed at Ratten in the wake of last week's embarrassing loss to Adelaide.

"It's unfair for 'Rats' to take the responsibility," Bower said.

"We are the ones out there and we're the ones playing the game. In the end it's down to us to get the structures right and play with passion. It wasn't there last week so it was good to bounce back this week."

The win lifts the Blues back into the eight – at least for the time being – and for Bower it was yet another step in the learning curve of one of the AFL's most improved defenders.

Bower completely blanketed young Eagles Ben McKinley while finding time to grab 27 touches, including seven rebounds.

The quietly spoken Blue attributed his improvement to opportunity and confidence gained from playing on Hawthorn's Lance Franklin and Brisbane Lions star Daniel Bradshaw late last year.

"That was a good opportunity last year and it gave me a lot of confidence leading into this year knowing I could play on the key forwards," he said.

"Rats has given me some big roles again this year and I've really enjoyed the jobs on the big names.

Bower could again get the chance to lock horns with Bradshaw next week when the Blues travel north to tackle the Lions at the Gabba.

The game looms as pivotal in both club's seasons.

"If you lose a game, you're out of the eight straight away," he said.

"It was good to get the four points tonight because it puts us back in the eight."

The former Peel Thunder product said despite a lacklustre second half, the win over West Coast had helped to restore confidence levels.

"After a disappointing game against Adelaide we knew we had to bounce back and get our structures right and we did that," he said.