CARLTON stoppages coach Dale Amos says the Blues showed plenty of promise in Sunday's 20-point loss to Collingwood.

Amos, who coached the Blues’ defence in 2016 and 2017 before moving into a stoppages role ahead of the 2018 season, gave Carlton Media his take on the Round 14 loss and the upcoming clash with Port Adelaide.

On the defeat to Collingwood:

"I think compared to the week before, people who turned up would have seen a consistent effort around the footy. Our pressure was far better than it was the week before, so I think those signs were really promising for us. There was some really exciting ball movement, particularly at the MCG, and some good passages of play that created scoring opportunities for us so there was definitely some growth from the week before."

On players who stood out:

"On the weekend I think clearly (Patrick) Cripps and Charlie Curnow were standouts in terms of their performances. Twenty contested possessions for ‘Crippa’ around the ball and he capped it off with three good goals. He has been working really hard on his goalkicking. Obviously everyone saw Charlie Curnow’s high marking, but his contest forward to the ball was also impressive, particularly with Levi going out before the game. There was extra ownership on his shoulders and I thought it was promising what he was able to do up forward."

On the injuries:

"The injuries obviously posed a couple of challenges before the bounce on the weekend, but the group did a good job. It was pretty seamless with Levi (Casboult) going out and Cam O’Shea coming in. We were able to structure up a little bit differently. I guess there were a couple of different roles for Sam Rowe off the back of having to go forward with Levi not being there and then also having to play in the ruck when (Matthew) Kreuzer went down. It was good flexibility and a good challenge for the group. We were down to two rotations, and we fought the game out really well. There were some positive signs in terms of being able to work our way through that."

On an in-form Port:

"Their form has been really strong over the last month. They’ve beaten some good teams in really good touch so they’re dangerous in all phases of the game. They’ve got really strong midfielders and great running power through there and they’ve been able to kick some good scores. They’re defensively really sound. It’s exciting to be able to take them on at the MCG - a side in good form in the competition."

On Simmo’s 300th: 

"I think good sides have the capacity to be able to perform well in milestone games and this is obviously a significant one given 300 games has rarely been achieved. (Simpson) is a much-loved person around the footy club. I think his impact is profound. Even in the short time that I’ve been here I’ve seen that on-field and off-field. I have no doubt that the boys will be up and about and really keen to perform well for someone who has given so much to the footy club. He’s a one-club player, a 300-game player now, and it’s a great credit to him. I’m sure everyone will be really excited for the weekend."