Having made the premiership clock famous in his tenure at Collingwood, Carlton coach Mick Malthouse says the Blues are "approaching" their window to strike for a flag.
On the eve of Carlton's season-opener against Port Adelaide, Malthouse was optimistic his side was among a clump of clubs who were getting closer to being in the hunt for the premiership.
He described the current AFL climate as being a "distorted clock" because the League's newest clubs – Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney – could rapidly rise into top-four calculations.
According to his theory, Malthouse projects that clubs who are at 12 o'clock are primed to win a premiership, and says last year's top-four would be within their rights to think they're "between 11 and 1".
The Blues, Malthouse said, were within the next batch of clubs clamoring to join them in that range.
"The rest of us, and we're one of those, we're caught in that bracket…are we approaching 11 o'clock? I would say that we're approaching 11 o'clock," Malthouse said on Saturday.
"But I think there's a lot of sides approaching 11 o'clock.
"Part way through the season we've got to say, well, some sides aren't near [that], and we want to be progressing through 11 o'clock.
"And I don't see any reason why that can't be the case. I haven't got a crystal ball but we've got a very good blend of senior players and we've got a good blend in the middle."
One of the key factors in Carlton making further progress on their 2013 season – which finished with a semi-final loss to Sydney – will be the form of Lachie Henderson.
Henderson's one outing in the pre-season after leg surgery was in last week's VFL practice game for the Northern Blues, where he was stationed in attack.
Malthouse said he wasn't concerned with the 24-year-old's limited game time, saying it was a result of the AFLPA's push for a longer off-season break for the players.
"We only get the chance to play three games, and he's played one of three," Malthouse said.
With Henderson picked to take on the Power at Etihad Stadium on Sunday night, the Blues are missing only former skipper Chris Judd and midfielder Andrew Carrazzo from their best line-up.
Carrazzo (calf) and new recruit Sam Docherty (quad) trained away from the main group at Saturday's session at Visy Park.
"We're hungry for us to get out there and play our best footy," Malthouse said.
Carlton's pre-season campaign started in earnest with an altitude camp in Arizona last year, but Malthouse was confident the AFL's equalisation measures would not impact on the Blues heading overseas.
He did, however, raise his concerns a football department cap could cost people employment.
"I fear more for the fact that if it's cut deeply then people lose their jobs," he said.
"We've built an industry and we pride ourselves on the number of people we employ in this industry…we've got physios, and doctors, psychologists, operations managers, match-day people.
“Where do you cut your fat from? Do we get leaner in there and therefore deprive people of their job?
"It doesn't sit too well with me.
"I'm all for equalisation, make no mistake about it. But I really do feel there's going to be a sideshow to it which is going to cost people jobs."
